


Fist Fight

by gabrielle607



Category: Boku no Hero Academia
Genre: A Shit Ton - Freeform, Angst, Bakugou Katsuki Swears A Lot, But I ain't gonna make a separate story for the sequels, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fighting, Hurt/Comfort, I got this all planned out, I still can't believe that people actually read and like the crap I write, I update every week or every other week, MAYUMI NEEDS A BIG HUG, OC needs love, Read at Your Own Risk, Romance, Slow Burn, This is a story about an underground MMA fighter, This is gonna be a three part story, bakugou does too, but seriously, depends how busy I am, i hope you guys like it, lots of action, trust me - Freeform, what do you expect
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-04
Updated: 2019-05-16
Packaged: 2019-05-17 20:03:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 18
Words: 95,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14838288
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gabrielle607/pseuds/gabrielle607
Summary: "Look kid, I ain't saying that you should get a desk job. What I'm saying is that you fight good, and you can make a decent, legal living with that. It's called being a pro hero.""But I don't want to be a hero.""Who the fuck doesn't want to be a hero?! Are you sure all that fighting didn't rattle your damned brain or something?"After the appearance of Quirks, fighting leagues had never been the same.Mayumi, a fighter in an underground fighting league, is torn between standing with what she believes in, and an attempt in repaying an debt that she knows she can never repay. She was given the choice to enroll in the hero course of U.A. to repay that debt, but it was the last place that she wanted to be in.Beinga hero was stupid, and wanting to become one is even more so.What good was being a hero when you can't save everyone?-----------Ratings may change, depending on how I want this story to go.People swear a lot in this story and there's a lot of fighting, so you have been warned.





	1. The Iron Lady

Mayumi heavily pants as she stares up at the ceiling, noticing the peeling paint for the first time. It just shows how old this place really is, and how it needed to be renovated.

_Better tell the Manager about it._

Mayumi lazily eyes the metal bar above her, and lets out a pained groan. She could still lift it. Her muscles weren't protesting and the ache wasn't seeping in, yet; But damn, does she want to ditch this place and buy a juicy burger oozing with cheese with a fat patty. She kicked her legs like a child in tantrum and let out an annoyed sigh before plugging back her earphones. With a furrowed brow, she gripped the metal bar of the weights above her and started lifting them until she could feel the familiar ache on her arms.

_Don't overdo it today, Yumi._

If her mind said so, then she'd trust her mind. She placed the weights back on the handle of the bench press, before sitting up. She grabs her water bottle and takes a swig before wiping the sweat on her temple and her neck. She looked at the time on the huge wall clock and licked her lips. It's one in the afternoon... No wonder she was getting hungry.

_Screw it. I am buying that burger for luck tonight._

She stood up and found an empty spot on the old gym and started to cool down. She closed her eyes and regulated her breathing for about a minute, before starting to stretch her limbs. As she sat down and stretches her legs, she saw a blonde teenager on the bench press doing reps. Mayumi tilted her head a bit. She counted how many he was lifting in one rep, and she was shocked at how many reps he did in just a minute. She wished she could do it, too, if she wasn't a lazy piece of ass. She looked closer and realized that he looked familiar. She might have went to the same Junior High School. As he rested, his head suddenly snapped to hers, as of sensing someone watching him. He sat up, and immediately furrowed his brows.

"Whatcha lookin' at? This ain't a fucking strip show!" He scolded. Ignoring him, Mayumi just stood up as if nothing happened.

She didn't need anyone's shit today. Not if she wants to focus for tonight.

* * *

"Yumi, hurry the fuck up!" She heard the Manager exclaim from the staircase.

"Wait the fuck up, old man!" She shouted back, shrugging on her hoodie and grabbing her duffel bag and skipping steps down the staircase. She met up with the Manager at the ground floor, which she met with a smack to the back of her head.

"We're going to be late, you idiot!" He said, putting on his fedora and shrugging on a scarf. Mayumi rolled her eyes and scrunched her lip up, mocking the old man as they walked out of the building.

"You wanna lose tonight, old man?" She threatened, as he opened the door of a sleek black car for her.

"Just get in the car, you damned cretin!"

"Oooh, 'cretin'! You're age is showing old man!" Yumi teased as she went in the car. The Manager looks so done with her.

"You better not fucking lose tonight, or else, I'm kicking you out."

* * *

The Underground Fighting Rink was nowhere as accurate as they present it in movies. The movie version was so much cleaner and lighter. In the UFR, the only lights present were a few fluorescent bulbs dangling from the ceiling, the brightest ones being above The Cage and the bar. If that wasn't enough, the smoke from the many lit cigarettes made everything within a mile radius seem hazy. The movie versions also didn't say anything about the smell. The UFR always smelled of sweat from a hundred men, tobacco, and alcohol. None of it smelled appealing by itself, and even more so when mixed together.

"Totally didn't miss this place." Mayumi said as she and the Manager weaved through a sea of cheering men and women. The first fight had already started, and by the looks of it, it was going to be a quick one.

"Hurry the fuck up, you brat! You still have to warm up, and we ain't got 10 minutes!" The Manager hissed as they made it to their designated room. "Plus you still have to get dressed!"

"Calm your tits, old man! I've got that covered." Mayumi said, zipping down her hoodie to reveal her already wearing her sports bra. The Manager also failed to notice how she already had her hair braided into two. She took off her jogging pants, and she was in her shorts already.

"Okay, get your war paint on, kid, and get yourself warmed up." The Manager said, before tossing bottles of silver and black face paint to her.

* * *

"Now that the two prelimenary cards are dead and gone, it is now time for the main event!" The announcer shouted through a hanging microphone.

"UFR, are you ready to see some blood?"

"Yeah!"

"Are you ready to see some bones break?"

"Yeah!"

"Then without further ado, let me introduce to you our first contender! The jaw-snapping, scale scalping, beady eyed monster of death, here to cure you of your sorry ass life, Doc Gatoooooor!!!" The crowd cheered when a large, scaly man strutted down to The Cage, smug confidence radiating from him. He shrugged off his silky red robe before stepping into The Cage. His skin was green in color, and scaly like an Aligator's. His size was a different matter, though. He was a 7 footer, and he flashed a toothy smirk to the crowd as he strutted around The Cage, revealing long, sharp teeth.

"And our next contender -oh, she's hardcore alright! Harder than your mother's whooping! Harder than your so-called balls of steel! Here to defend her title, the top 3 fighter here in UFR, the ass-whooping Iron Laaaaadyyyyy!!!" The crowd howled as Mayumi walk down towards The Cage, a sheen of sweat aready coating her body. Her whole face was painted with silver paint, with black around her eyes, like a mask. She slams her closed fists together, jumping from time to time to release the tension. Her oponent was huge, and there is no way that she will underestimate her oponent, no matter what gender, size, or shape. She steps into The Cage, barefooted. She goes around, raising her fist as the crowd cheers for her. She then goes to the middle of The Cage, and meets with the host (who is also the referee), and Doc Gator.

"Okay, kids, now you know the rules. You can bite, elbow, headbutt, or knee each other to your heart's content. Beat each other to a bloody pulp within the time limit and the 3 rounds, but if one of you taps out or falls unconscious for 10 seconds, you're out. Now, give us a good show, alright?" The host says between the two of them, before backing off. "Okay, let's do this shit!!!" As the host left The Cage, the bell rung and Mayumi held her gloved fist out, as a sign of sportsmanship. She saw it in her father's old videos of Mixed Martial Arts before, when it was still an official sport. The contenders would bump fists before they start beating each other bloody, and some would walk out friends after the fight.

However, this was the Underground Fighting Rink. Honor and nobility are often disregarded.

Doc Gator immediately swung a right hook at Mayumi. The thing was, he was a large man, and large men are often slow with their movements. Mayumi was able to doge it, her face a hair's breadth away from the tip of her nose. She heard laughter from the crowd as she stumbled back, but she didn't loose her footing. Immediately going to a defensive stance, she braced herself for another punch directed to her face, but was instead attacked from the side, which sent her rolling.

_Shit I forgot about the tail._

As Mayumi looked up, she saw Doc Gator about to bring down a foot to her stomach. She acted out and brought up a foot and kicked it ti the only open spot a man has when he raises one of his legs. With the activation of her Quirk, she sent Doc Gator flying towards the fence of The Cage. She quickly stood up, running towards Doc Gator, and bringing a heavy foot down to his stomach. The crowd yelled and cheered on for her, and it drove her wild. She was going to win this. She was going to prove her worth to the Manager. She needed this money.

She wanted it.

Feeling pumped up, she straddled Gator and punched him with consecutive left and right hooks. He managed to push her away, prying away from her straddle, and was going to crawl away. It was his mistake for turning his back on Mayumi, as she hooked her left leg under his left shoulder, and her right leg over his right shoulder. She flipped them over, both of them on their backs. Gator tried to sandwich Mayumi between the wall of The Cage by pushing himself towards it, but she managed to grab his left arm, threatening to break it.

"Come on, man! Tap out! Don't wanna do this!" Mayumi said to him, and for a while, she thought that he actually would.

"Fuck you, bitch!" He spat out.

What Mayumi said was true. She didn't really like breaking bones, or dislocating joints for no reason. However, when someone does give her a reason, for example, someone calling her a bitch, then she wouldn't think twice about it. The sound that it made was sick enough for someone in the crowd to puke. Mayumi could make out shocked gasps from some of the audience members. Of course they would. She completely dislocated his shoulder from the joint. But again, she forgot about the tail, and in Gator's writhing, his tail slammed on Mayumi's right temple, making her vision blurry and drowning everything out. She couldn't feel her limbs, but she felt repeated banging on the sides of her head. She tried her best to block it, to move away, but it kept on coming. She wasn't unconscious yet. She could still fight. She was on the brink of closing her eyes, when she was saved by the bell.

The beating stopped, her face felt numb, but she could still stand. She was assisted to her corner, and she could feel something wet being poured on her face. It was probably water. She could feel her hearing coming back, and the ringing in her ears becoming faint.

"You doing okay, kid?" The Manager's face becoming clearer to her. He was squatting in front of her as she removed her mouthpiece. Mayumi nodded, and she felt a water bottle being placed between her lips. After drinking her fill, she felt someone putting on the paint on her face once again, and she felt stings on her left cheekbone and on her right temple.

"Fuck, why do I need the paint again? It hurts like shit." Mayumi cussed.

"Cuz you're still a minor, which is still illegal in this underground rink -even more so in a normal fight. You need to look more mature. That's why I've been telling you to lose some of the fat, get some abs." The Manager said, and Mayumi sighed.

"But I like a bit of fat. Makes me soft... Huggable." Mayumi smiled, and she swore she saw a hint of a smile replace the Manager's ever-present scowl.

"Whatever. Just remember, in this fight, you're fighting against five limbs. Be careful."

"It's four, now. Dislocated his shoulder. Called me a bitch, now his arm should hurt like one." Mayumi said, and she felt the Manager ruffle her head.

 "Taught you well. You make me proud, kid." Mayumi knew that it was a bit of a joke, but she felt something swell in her chest as she heard those words.

"You good to go?" He asked, and she nodded. She walked towards the The Cage as the bell rang once again, signaling the start of the second round. This one started with Mayumi on the defense once more, waiting for Gator to make the first move. He did, by sending her a flying kick. Mayumi instantly blocked his kick with her arm, his shin hitting her arm with a loud pang. Gator let out a loud roar and stumbled with one foot. Mayumi used this to her advantage to grab his foot and with her Quirk, she managed to carry him, and slam him on the ground like a rag doll. The impact was so strong that the whole floor shook from the slam of Gator's body. While Gator was down, Mayumi climbed up the metal wires of the wall of The Cage, and pushed herself off, using it as a boost for her final blow to Gator's head. Her punch formed a crater around Gator's head, and they saw that he wasn't moving.

The countdown from the crowd and the host began.

_10_

_9_

_8_

_7_

_6_

_5_

A twitch from his tail and fingers, but nothing else.

_4_

_3_

_2_

_1_

The host immediately went in the Cage and held Mayumi's hand up. "And the winner is, The Iron Ladyyyyyy!!!" He cheered, and the crowd went wild. However, Mayumi looked at Gator, and back at the host.

"Is he still alive?" He brought out a mirror and held it to Gator's nose. Mayumi sighed in relief when she saw steam cloud the mirror.

"He'll be alright. You did good, don't worry."

Mayumi knew that she fought a good fight, but she can't help feeling like a bad person as she looked at the bloodied face of Gator.

* * *

Mayumi and the Manager celebrated with a slice of pizza and two bottles of Smirnoff Mule in their favorite pizza place. It was a tradition of theirs ever since she won her first fight two years ago. They come here so often that the staff in the graveyard shift are already used to her coming in the middle of the night with gauze and stitches on her face.

"Yumi," The Manager started as he took a swig of Smirnoff. "What do you plan on doing if ever I take you out of the Fighting Rink?" Mayumi scoffed at the idea, thinking that the Manager was in a light mood, but when she looked at him, he was looking out to the city, a solemn look on his wrinkled face.

"What do you mean 'take me out of the rink'? Fighting in the rink is my life, now." Mayumi said.

"Yes, but it doesn't have to be that way." He said, and Mayumi looked at him, confused.

"What do you mean?"

"Look, kid... I'm old, and I ain't going to be here much longer. When I'm gone, I want you to make a decent life for yourself -with a proper, legal, good-paying job." The Manager explained.

"You're taking me out of the rink?!" Mayumi exclaimed. He can't take her out. She doesn't want to. "You can't! Fighting is all I have left, and you know what fighting means to me! What do you want me to do, sit in a desk job and die?!" The Manager scoffed at the last part.

"Look kid, I ain't saying that you should get a desk job. What I'm saying is that you fight good, and you can make a decent, legal living with that. It's called being a pro hero." The Manager explained, and Mayumi's brows furrowed.

"But I don't want to be a hero."

"Who the fuck doesn't want to be a hero?! Are you sure that fighting didn't rattle your damned brain or something?"

Mayumi and the Manager were silent after a while. Mayumi looked down at her pizza, and she didn't want it to go to waste just because she wasn't in a good mood. Eating her anger out, she devoured the remaining pizza in a second. She chewed angrily as she looked out of the store, watching the stoplight on the street flicker.

"Okay, fine... Let's make a deal that'll make your debt repaid." Mayumi looked at the Manager, and she knew that this is an offer that she cannot refuse.

* * *

Mayumi was back in the gym after two days, earphones blasting rock music as she jogged on the treadmill. However, neither the lyrics nor the muscle fatigue registers to her senses, as she thought about the deal that the Manager offered her. She knew that she would spend her life repaying the debt she owed to the Manager until he dies, but he just offered a payment for it. He made it sound like it was his dying wish or something, and if it is, she can't refuse it. But she didn't like the conditions.

"Get out of the treadmill, creep." She heard a voice from behind. She slowed it down to a stop, and she turned to see that blonde haired boy from the other day. He wore, what seemed like, a permanent scowl, just like the Manager, and his brows were furrowed. "The fuck happened to your face? Someone finally fixed it for ya?" He asked, a smug grin forming. Mayumi had it with this boy. He was plain rude for no reason, and she has no patience left for him.

"What the hell is your problem, asshole?" That's right. She remembered him now. They did go to the same school in Junior High, but he was in another class. However, she remembers stories about this boy with a better-than-thou attitude, and this was him -Bakugou Katsuki, or, as Mayumi likes to label him, the school dipshit.

"You're hogging the fucking treadmill, idiot." He plainly said, and Mayumi found that she couldn't argue with that. It's true that she's been jogging for an hour, or so. With a frustrated sigh, she grabbed her water bottle and waved her hands.

"Fuck! Fine! Whatever!" She exclaimed, moving to get her gloves to let out steam on the punching bag. She groaned as she remembered something about Bakugou Katsuki. He, along with a classmate of his, managed to pass the entrance test of U.A., and only the two of them were able to pass in their whole school.

_Okay, kid. Here's my deal. I'll keep arranging fights for you in the rink, and even help you get the spot of Top 1._

_And in return?_

_I know a guy in U.A., so you go study there to become a licensed hero... for me._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Forgive me, but it's my first time writing a fic for an anime. Sorry if the action scenes are dragging, but I'm practicing writing those kinds of scenes. Please don't be afraid to leave a comment if you see room for improvement! ^_^


	2. Mayumi vs. The Assessor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mayumi gets assessed for her entrance to U.A., and a certain expolsive blonde keeps pushing her to her limits.

When Mayumi was done with Junior High, she decided that she wanted to dedicate everything on her fighting career, and completely ditched on the Manager's suggestion for her Senior High. If she was just going to study so that she could get a job and eventually get paid, then what difference would it make? She was already earning money by doing something that she actually liked. Might as well start as early as sixteen and save the money and effort spent for another three years of High School. Besides, not being in school wasn't so bad. She slept and woke up at the time she wanted, she had a lot of time for herself, and she didn't have any of those nonsensical rules that she was forced to conform to.

She was living the fucking dream.

However, there were days like these when she thinks, for the slightest moment, if this is what she should be doing; If her fighting career will be a long term thing. There are slight moments of doubt in her mind, wherein she contemplates if there was something more to life than getting up and punching someone's lights out for money. She couldn't find an answer to that, yet. As of now, her only purpose in life is to fight. Without that, she would have nothing. And the old man actually tried to take it from me. Mayumi groaned as she remembered the Manager's deal for her. She still hadn't said yes to going to U.A., but as long as she doesn't say anything, she knows that she wouldn't be getting any fights. She might as well accept the deal.

However, Mayumi doesn't want to be a hero. She never even entertained the thought of becoming one. She was strong, sure, but she was far from being a hero. If they're ready to risk their lives just like that, then heroes are just people who don't love their selves.

As if sensing her distress, the sheets beside her shuffled, and Mayumi reached out for the body that shared her bed.

"Good morning, baby." She said, pulling a lazy smile on her face as her hand ran through the body. Suddenly, four legs pounced on her stomach, and Mayumi let out a surprised 'oomphf'. The creature continued to wag its tail and lick her face as a means to greet her.

"Baby, you're not a puppy anymore. You're a fucking huge dog." She scolded to her pet. Mayumi's black Dobberman just laid her head on her master's stomach and looked up at her, tongue sticking out as if laughing at her. Mayumi stuck out her own before sitting up and stretching her arms until the satisfying creaking of her bones stopped. She then got out of bed, not even caring if she was just in her tank top and undies, and she prepared her dog's food bowl. The Dobberman followed her around, practically drooling as she heard the sound of her dog food being poured on her metal bowl. She then sat down in front of Mayumi, until her dog bowl was placed in front of her. She happily dug in her food as her master went around the cabinets to look for breakfast.

_I think I'm in the mood for Omu-Rice._

Mayumi smiled fondly at the thought. The savory mix of rice, meat, vegetables and egg already on her imagination. Her memories of Omu-Rice struck close to what used to be her home, and to her, what's left of home was in a country further south from where she is. She sighed as she looked at her phone, contemplating for a bit.

_Maybe... Just maybe, when I finally have my shit together, I should visit them._

However, Mayumi knew that a visit would bring nothing but pain and taint the joyful memories that she has left of them.

~•~

"Your fats are slowing you down like a fucker! Lose some goddamn weight, would ya?!"

Mayumi huffed at the comment as she circled around the sparring ring, hands up to the level of her brows and taking side steps. It's been a week since the night of her fight with Doc Gator, and she is back on training. The Manager is relentless with his jibes at her as he watched from the side. He is even more ruthless with his training for her, and told her sparring partner not to hold back. She finally gave in to his deal in applying to U.A, and he was preparing her for her assessment.

"We'll be meeting the representative from U.A. three days from now. I've met him and believe me when I say that you wouldn't stand a chance against him." He said, as Mayumi sent her sparring partner a kick, before backing away. She blocked the jabs that was thrown at her until she saw an open spot and tackled her partner to the ground.

"Trust me when I say that that quirk of yours will be useless on him." The Manager said, his arms resting on the mat of the ring as he watched from outside. Mayumi struggled to keep her partner down, immediately wrapping her legs around his waist and locking it. She pinned his arm down and continued to land hammer fists on his head. She, of course, was pulling her punches, since this was a spar. However, a hammer fist was still a hammer fist, and it had her partner tapping out. Mayumi immediately let go of her sparring partner and helped him up, both of them sweaty and panting.

"You're getting better." Her sparring partner said.

"I fought bigger men and women than you. This was just a warm up." Mayumi said, taking a swig from her water bottle. Her partner just gave her a pat on the shoulder before leaving the ring. Mayumi made her way out of the ring, grabbing her towel and wiping the sweat on her face. On the opposite side of the gym, she saw that blonde teenager again, but this time, he was the one staring. Her attention snapped back to the Manager the moment that she felt his hand smack the back of her head.

"Shit, you could have called my name, old man. Jeez." She said, rubbing the back of your head.

"I have been, dumbass," He told her, handing her a refilled bottle of water. "Look, your Quirk requires you to have more mass -bigger muscles, in order for it to become stronger."

"Isn't it the same with fat?" She asked, and immediately thought about lunch. It was only ten in the morning, but man was she feeling hungry. Her thoughts of food was smacked out of her head by the Manager.

"You eat anymore of that goddamn greasy shit before the assessment, the whole deal is off. I need you in top shape on the day of your assessment, and that means you need a toned body, not a soft one." The Manager scolded before taking a swig of, what seemed to be, whiskey from a metal cannister. This man honsetly had a death wish.

"Awww, you old grump. How the hell am I supposed to get a boy to hold me then, if I've got more muscles than him?" Mayumi teased, and the Manager almost choked on his whiskey.

"That's your problem, kid. Besides, it's not like any boy or man would look at you twice. It'll be more likely that I'll live to see you become a decent person, before you ever attract a boy." He said, and Mayumi shot him a glare, her mouth forming a frown.

"Below the belt, man... Below the belt."

"It's called being honest, now get that fat ass on a bench press before I change my mind about the whole deal!"

~•~

"Hey Creep, have I met you before?" Mayumi set down her weights and turned her head to see him -that Bakugou Katsuki from her old High School, sitting on the bench press beside her. She sighed and continued with her weights, completely ignoring him.

"Hey, don't ignore me, idiot! I'm talking to you."

_Dammit. I don't even know him that much, and he's already getting in my nerves._

"No, we haven't, but I go to this gym, and you do too. Now, it's not hard to put two and two together, don't you think?" Mayumi said, grunting she pushed her weights up.

"I'm not fucking stupid. I know you go to this gym," Bakugou said, obviously irritated.

_Oh really? It's hard to believe that there's something between those ears._

"You know, you were shit in that sparring session awhile ago."

"What made you say that?" Mayumi asked with bated breath as she lifted her weights.

"I'm in the Hero Course of U.A., and I topped the entrance exam. It's obvious, isn't it?" He said, a smug grin in his face.

"What is?" Mayumi asked, which seemed to push Bakugou's buttons. Dammit. If he was in the Hero Course of U.A., the same course that she is applying for, then she might as well just jump off a building. There was no way that she could survive even a week full of him.

"That I can beat the shit out of you in no time if you fucking sass me again." He said, and Mayumi let out an honest laugh as she set down her weights and sat up to face him.

"You sure about that?" She asked him, and he looked at her, a challenging gleam in his eye.

"Why don't we go into that ring and see for yourself?" He asked, his lips snarling with overconfidence -a familiar look that Mayumi saw on many fighters in the UFR. However, she wasn't in the mood, and she didn't feel like making a rival today.

"No." She said, standing up and collecting her things. She was hungry and was already thinking of lunch. This guy wasn't worth her time. Bakugou immediately frowned, then let out a huff.

"You're chicken shit. You know that right?" He called out to her, and she stopped dead. She might be stubborn at times, and her moral compass might be slightly off, but she knew in herself that she wasn't chicken nor shit. She just turned and looked at him seriously, the way that she would to any opponent in a fight.

"I'm not chicken, and I'm not shit, either. Just don't wanna make the record of the fastest face fixing on the world's ugliest boy." She said, raising her middle finger up at him and walking away, drowning out Bakugou's curses.

~•~

_Why did you save me?_

_Shouldn't you be thanking me, instead of asking me why? You've been saved by some fucking grace, kid. Sounds like those fucking hero stories on television if you'd ask me.  
_

_But... I don't want to be a hero._

~•~

"Hey kid, you better not be dozing on the assessment!"

Mayumi bolted up when she felt something smack her arm. She looked around her and woke herself up from her post-sleep haze. It was her assessment today, and they were supposed to meet at the UFR in the afternoon.

The UFR was supposed to be an underground thing, meaning no one concerning the government should know about this place. On days with no fights, the abandoned compound on the outskirts of the city becomes a shady place where shadier people meet to strike deals about god-knows-what.

So why is it that the Manager and the representative of U.A. agreed to meet at one of the most illegal places in the city, Mayumi doesn't know.

They got out of the car and walked into the abandoned compound. Mayumi could only guess that this compound used to be an old martial arts gym that was a victim of either a storm, or a villain attack. Either way, it left an octagon-like fighting ring. An anonymous MMA enthusiast bought the lot and decided to make money out of it. They patched up the roof, added a cage-like wall, spread the word to gym owners, and thus, the UFR.

The UFR isn't actually a bad place if there isn't a crowd of sweaty people stinking up the place. It looked like somewhere Mayumi could go if she wanted to be alone for a while. Further down in the fighting ring, a man stood there. He was wearing yellow goggles, and looked like he had better days. It was obvious from his posture that he could use a bit of sleep or coffee before handling whatever it was that he needed to handle.

"Mr. Nakamura." The man said, bowing down as they arrived.

"Thank you for your time, Shouta." The Manager said as the man named 'Shouta' stood straight.

"Please, it was the least I could do. When I heard of your request from the principal, I took it upon myself to oversee this assessment." The man said, and the Manager smiled.

"Shouta, this is Mayumi. Yumi, this is your assessor, Aizawa Shouta. He is a teacher in U.A., and if you're lucky, you will be taking lessons from him." The Manager said. Mayumi bowed her head, and stood straight to look at her assessor. She couldn't see his eyes, and that creeps her out a bit.

_I could be sleeping right now. This is basically coercion._

"So, how does this assessment start?" The Manager asked.

"She would not be a full-fledged student in U.A.. Since she applied in the middle of the semester, the only program that we could offer her is a working student program. However, since it stated in your letter that you were willing to apply her to a program that involves the Hero Course, this is the only program that we have available."

_Great. Not only will I have extra shit to study, but I'll their bitch, too._

"Since she will be applying for a different program, the entrance test will be quite different."

_Let's just get this over with. I just want all of this to be done._

"She would have to fight me." He simply said, and it didn't shock Mayumi at all. How would this be different from her fights in the underground?

This would be a piece of cake for her.

~•~

Mayumi and the assessor, Aizawa, stood across each other. Mayumi already had her fists raised in front of her face, and he stood casually. The Manager was seated a few meters away, watching the whole fight.

"The rules are simple. You hit me on the head, you get five points. You hit me on the torso, you get three. Take me down, you get ten. You need to get at least twenty five. However, knock me out, then without question, you're in. You have 3 minutes."

_A scrawny and sleep deprived man like you would be a walk in a park._

"Let's start." Mayumi said. The bell rung, and she and Aizawa immediately started circling each other, assessing each other and waiting on the other to make a move.

_Okay, so his stance looks lazy, so that's good for me. I could charge in with a punch or a kick first, and -_

She didn't have a moment to complete her thoughts before something metallic came at her like a punch. She was able to block it and dodge, however, she found her wrists being wrapped up by the same metallic thing.

_What the fuck is this?!_

She looked at Aizawa, and saw that those strips that were wrapped around his neck were the ones that were attacking her.

_So, he controls metals? Think quick, Yumi. How the fuck can I get to him with my right hand tied?_

An idea struck Mayumi's mind in a matter of seconds. She wasn't sure if it worked like that, but she's seen it in a TV show once. The moment she thought about it, she immediately started running to him, ducking and jumping on the metal strips that was sent to her while holding tight to the strip that was wrapped on her wrist. She could also feel it tugging at her, but with how fast she was moving in all directions, it would hard for him to think about tugging her in and capturing her at the same time. Her wanted result came when she was suddenly tugged by her right wrist, and saw that the first part of her plan worked. The metal strips got tangled up, just like how she imagined it would be.

It was time for part two of her plan.

She pulled at the metal strips, hoping that the man would, in any way, lose his balance, and she would be able to find an opening. However, she forgot one thing.

She was underestimating a pro hero, and Mayumi's number one rule is to never underestimate an opponent.

Aizawa had seen through her strategy and immediately retracted all the metal strips in a blink of an eye. The next thing Mayumi knew, she was wrapped up with the metal strips, and she couldn't move. Aizawa's hair stood up, as if floating, and she could see a faint red glow inside his goggles as he pulled her towards him.

"You haven't used your Quirk once, Mayumi. Is it possible that you're not giving your all in this assessment? Don't you want to get into U.A.? To become a hero?" He asked in a flat tone, as if analyzing her. She tried using her quirk now, but she can't. With her full weight doubled, she would have easily made a dent in the strips that he had her tied in. "Tell me -why should I pass a person who lacks the motivation to become a hero?"

He asked, and Mayumi's eyes grew wide. She felt her heart clench at his words, because he was able to see right through her. It was true that she doesn't want to be a hero -that she was forced into all of this. However, she wanted to make it even with the Manager. After everything that he's done for her, she knew winning fights for him wouldn't make it even. This was his personal wish, and it was for her own sake. For a greedy old man, he was selfless, and she wanted to help him make that wish come true.

"I never wanted to be a hero. I don't even want to become one," Mayumi muttered. She struggled a bit more, giving it her all even without the use of her quirk. Both she and Aizawa was caught off guard with the creaking sounds that her struggling made, and the slight dent that she had made from her struggling. "But if it means faking it in front of the old man to make him happy, then so be it."

Mayumi then did the only way out in a situation like this. She slammed her forehead on Aizawa's, and the metal straps immediately let go of her.

_Alright, that's 5._

However, a headbutt was like a holding a double-edged sword without a handle. It would hurt the opponent, but it would deal some damage to the wielder. Mayumi swayed as Aizawa held his hand to his head. However, Mayumi was used to receiving blows to the head, and she continued to fight. She sent a roundhouse kick to his side while he was still caught off guard. It hit his side, but he was as sturdy as a tree, so her kick didn't send him falling on his side, like she expected. It was clear that this man isn't as scrawny as Mayumi had thought. He obviously knew how to deal with blows, and Mayumi liked that.

_This guy knows his shit._

But time was running out, and Mayumi needed to pass this assessment. So, with a desperate plan on her head, she tackled Aizawa by the stomach, and that causes him to fall on his back.

_Yes, that's eighteen._

However, she was about to punch him when she felt something lift her by the leg. The next thing she knew, she was hanging up-side down. Her wrists were tied next, and she looked to see the metal straps tied to her again. It was also when the bell rang, signaling the end of the round. Fear immediately gripped Mayumi's stomach, and she felt sick. She failed the Manager.

_Shit... I didn't make it._

She was brought closer to Aizawa, who now stood up. She was still hanging upside down, and it was getting uncomfortable.

"Given your career, it goes without saying that you're experienced with combat. You have a quick mind, I'll give you that," He said, and Mayumi held on to a string of hope that she might have passed his assessment, even if she just dodged a bullet. "However, experience isn't enough to become a hero. You need a solid goal to drive you on, and I think this would be your downfall."

Nope. That bullet was poisoned and it grazed her.

"The students who entered U.A. High School all dream of becoming a hero, and, despite their lack of combat skills, there is potential in them. Their dreams of becoming a hero is what fuels them to become better people, both in terms of their character and skills. In you, it is the complete opposite. You have the skills, but you do not have a dream. So you have this final chance to convince me: What do you have to offer to U.A.? Why should I accept you into the hero course, when you don't want to become one?"

Mayumi felt her heart in her throat, but she should still have her war-face on. The assessment isn't over yet.

"I don't want to become a hero, but I'll become one to fulfill that old man's wish for me to become one, and have a better life. I'm doing this for somebody else's sake. Isn't that what you heroes believe in?" She asked. She hung upside down for a few seconds before he dropped her on the mat, releasing her. He stepped out of the Cage, and walked to the manager. She sat up and saw them talking, before shaking hands, and Aizawa left. Mayumi got up and stepped out of the ring, before she saw a genuine smile on the Manager's face.

She passed.

~•~

She was starting school again tomorrow, and she wished that a truck would hit her while crossing the pedestrian tomorrow. She was letting off steam at a punching bag -which she also used for kicking. It was mostly the dread of meeting new people and having to explain her complicated background again: that she's not even Japanese, that she's only been in Japan for two and a half years, and to add to that, she is now a working student, since she enrolled in the middle of a semester.

Okay, maybe she didn't have to mention that she would be working at U.A.

"You're never going to prove anything just by punching that bag."

_Oh great. If it isn't my favorite shithead._

"Shouldn't you be in school or something? Or did they finally realize that you're all brawn and no brains?" Mayumi asked, jabbing at the punching bag with her right hand. "Besides, I don't have to prove anything to you."

"It's a Sunday, you fucking idiot. You're the one who doesn't go to school anymore, you fucking Creep," Bakugou said, and he came to view, stopping the punching bag from hitting him. "I remember you, now. I've seen you in Junior High, haven't I?" He asked, and Mayumi shrugged.

"Does it matter?" She asked, and decided that she's done with her work-out. She's not actually supposed to work out today, but she needed to let off some steam.

"You still chicken shit about that fight, huh?" Mayumi stopped in her tracks. She's only met this guy four times, and she wants to beat the crap out of him.

_That fucker's going down._

"All right. If you're so fucking keen about it, get in the ring now. No quirks, no gloves, one minute." She said, marching towards the empty boxing ring. They both went to their positions in the boxing ring, their hands raised.

"If I win, stop getting in my nerves." Mayumi said, and she was met with Bakugou's smirk.

"I'm taking you down, bitch." He said, before running towards her, a right swing headed towards her face. She immediately saw this, and dodged by taking a side step. She wanted to end this fight quickly, so without any more bullshit, she swept his feet, causing him to fall on his back. She took this opening and she placed her knee between his legs, anchoring him down to the ground. She used her left hand to pin down his right one, and she used her right fore-arm to put pressure on his neck, nearly blocking his wind-pipe. Of course, she really wouldn't block it like she would normally do, but for someone who would experience it for the first time, a bit of pressure would hurt.

"Now, stop getting under my skin and learn some goddamn manners, would ya?" She said, before releasing her hold on him. Bakugou was left panting in the ring, and for a moment, Mayumi thought that he didn't look cocky for a while.

But Mayumi must have been imagining it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hahahahaha ahahaha.... haaaaaaaa.... I am so not sure if I am writing Bakugou right.
> 
> Also, have you seen a female Dobberman with uncropped ears? So effin cute!!! They have super floppy ears! They don't look scary at all.
> 
> Thank you so much for the review and the kudos that you've left, my dear readers! ^_^ Please let me know if I could improve this story in any way


	3. Mayumi vs The First Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mayumi's first day in U.A.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't drop out from school, kids. I know it may seem useless, but just don't.

Mayumi stood outside of U.A., staring at the walkway.

She might have looked stupid, just standing there, but she was hoping that a bike -a motorcycle, a truck, anything- would hit her right now. She was uncomfortable with this whole thing. She hated the short skirt she had to wear as a uniform, she hated the blazer that made her hard to move in, and she hated the disruption of her routine. She usually slept until 10 in the morning, and now, she has to go at 7 in the fucking morning to a place that would teach her things she wouldn't even use in the future.

This totally went against everything Mayumi believed in.

She looked at her beige colored watch, sandwiched between her beaded bracelets. She should get going. She was early today, since she had a few stuff to do before starting her actual classes. She had to go to the principal office first, so that she could meet her "guide". They said that he was someone from her class, so that she can become comfortable with somebody in her class. After a few wrong turns and some awkward inquiries for directions, she arrived at a door labelled "Office of the Principal". She gave a slight knock, and she heard a muffled "enter" from inside.

When she learned that the Principal of U.A. was going to debrief her of her situation as a working student, she expected that they would be alone. However, when she entered the office, there was a boy in uniform sitting on a chair, by the principal's desk. There was an empty chair across him, meaning that they were waiting for her. But what really shocked her was the fact that the principal was a mouse.

Pretty cute, to be honest.

"Ah, Mayumi, right on time. Please come in," Both him and the student stood up to meet her half-way. "I am Principal Nezu. I trust you didn't have a hard time on your way here?" He asked, holding out a hand, and she shook it, albeit it was a rather difficult hand shake, given their size. The student next to him stepped forward and bowed.

"Iida Tenya, Class Representative of Class 1-A, and I will be your student guide for today." Mayumi returned the bow to him. She looked at the spectacled boy, and she could tell that he had the makings of a top-notch student. Given by how perfect his necktie was tied, and how neatly combed his undercut was, it was obvious why he became a Class Representative.

"Please, both of you take a seat. I'll make this quick, so that both of you can start the tour early. U.A. is a rather big school afterwards."

~•~

U.A. wasn't a big school at all. It was fucking humongous.

She was surprised at how the government was able to fund this school without going bankrupt.

Before the tour started, Principal Nezu had explained to her her current situation as a student. The good news was that her working student status wasn't permanent. She only had to hold this status until the end of terms exams, given that she would be able to catch up with all of her lessons AND pass the end of term exams. After her midterms, she can enrol again and become an official student of U.A.. As for her job, the Principal is considering her to become part of their clean up team. Given her quirk, he knew that it would be good training for her and at the same time, she would be helping out a lot. She would, indeed, do a lot of cleaning, but most of them would be clearing and lifting debris from their training arena. In addition to those, instead of club periods, she has make-up classes, and even on Saturdays, she has to stay until five in the afternoon. Her work periods are every Tuesday and Thursday, after her make-up classes, meaning that by the time she's done with her day, it would be nightfall.

That means that until the end of semester, she would be too busy to prepare for a fight.

She and Iida didn't really talk to each other. Their whole tour consisted of him pointing out the important parts of the main building, like the cafeteria, the school library, the multipurpose halls, and the like. In between their stops, she was given the ground rules. She was expected to always be punctual, to always wear the proper uniform, and to practice proper decorum. That means no yelling nor running in the hallways, and picking fights. Eventually, both of them came up to an office labelled 'Clinic'.

"This is also where you'll find our school's head nurse, Recovery Girl," He said, both of them stopping in front of a door. "I will be leaving you now. I trust that you can find your way to our classroom?" He asked, and Mayumi nodded.

"I will, don't worry. Thanks for showing me around." Mayumi said, before Iida left her outside the clinic.

~•~

The check up took a while, since it involved various tests and procedures, one of them being an x-ray. The nurse and the head of the clinic, the pro hero Recovery Girl, was shocked with the results of the x-ray.

"Your bones show signs of having fractures before. Would this cause any trouble with you using your quirk?"

Mayumi had to explain to the staff that what they saw on her bones and on her arm was the result of a car accident two years ago. She got hit by a car in the middle of the street, breaking many bones in her body. The man who hit her was filthy rich, though, and for some reason, he paid for whatever hospital bills that he had to. That was how her story with the Manager started. Mayumi could still use her arm, but she just couldn’t do anything strenuous.

It was already 8:30, and her homeroom should be starting any minute now. She walked along the hallway, passing through door after door until she saw the sign '1-A'. Mayumi stopped in front, not knowing if she should knock or just open the door. She's never been late, and from where she came from, they would always knock before entering the room.

_Well, at least I'd look polite._

Mayumi knocked on the door before sliding it open. Mayumi instantly froze as all the attention shifted to her. She was used to people watching her during her fights, but she'd prefer that over the feeling of scrutiny that she is getting at the moment. She looked at the man who was her homeroom advisor, and realized that it was her assessor, Aizawa.

"Good morning, sensei. I apologize for my tardiness. May I please come in?"

At least two years in a Catholic school taught her some manners.

"You are excused for this morning, but I would prefer it if you do not come in late again," He drawled, and suddenly, there were murmurs among the students in her class. "Silence!" Aizawa scolded, her eyes glowing red. Everyone immediately shut their mouths and stood up straight.

"As I was saying, today, a new student will be joining our section," Aizawa said, motioning Mayumi to enter the classroom and stand beside the podium. Mayumi looked around one more time and her eyes widened as she met a familiar pair of red eyes. She gulped as she met his gaze, however, it seemed to lack his usual glare. It seemed as if his temper was toned down to a simmer today.

_Did I manage to knock some sense into him?_

"Introduce yourself." She heard Aizawa say, and she gripped the straps of her backpack, reciting the introduction that she may or may not have practiced over and over in front of the mirror.

"Hi. Er-... I am Mayumi, but just call me Yumi," She started. After that, her mind completely blanked out. What the hell was she supposed to in a situation like this? She couldn't simply say 'Hi, I'm Yumi, and I'm an underground fighter in the UFR. I'm not Japanese, I'm technically stranded in this country, and I think this whole thing is a waste of time cuz I have no intention of taking this school seriously.'

Like hell she could say that. She didn't feel like making friends, but she didn't feel like giving her classmates that kind of a first impression, either. So, instead, she said a brief. "I look forward to working with all of you." She swore she heard the blonde hotshot snigger at what she said. She sneaked a glance at him and saw that he was glaring at her, with a smug smirk on his lips.

She wanted a rematch with him, and this time, she's beat him hard enough to wipe that stupid smirk off his face.

"Take a seat at the back so we can resume homeroom." Aizawa said, and Mayumi went straight towards her seat, her face not giving away anything. As she placed her bag down, she leaned on her table with a sigh.

This was gonna be a long year.

~•~

Homeroom was awkward, since she can sense pairs of eyes looking at her. She was seated at the very back of the room, behind a girl with short brown hair. Even her seat was awkward, since she was the only one in her row, and she felt like skulking even more.

She didn't pay much attention to what Aizawa said, only hearing the words 'internship' from time to time.

_Shit, if we're required to intern, then there's no way I'll be able to fight within the next few months._

Before she knew it, Aizawa had left the room without so much of a goodbye, and huge brown eyes were staring at her. Mayumi snapped out of her thoughts and saw that the girl in front of her was looking at her, a wide grin on her face.

"So, you're my new seatmate, huh?" She asked, her voice cheery. This took Mayumi aback. She hasn't met anyone this bright and perky in a while.

"I guess so." Mayumi said, and the girl in front of her held out her hand.

"Well, since you've already introduced yourself, I'm Uraraka Ochacko. If you need help with anything, you can always approach me." She said, and Mayumi shook Uraraka's outstretched hand. She'd normally spurn rose-colored people and despite Uraraka's vibe, Mayumi couldn't seem to hate her.

"Um, thanks." Mayumi said, giving a small smile herself.

"So you're that new student I heard from Iida!" She heard another perky voice exclaim.

_Jesus, is everyone here like that?_

Mayumi looked at the owner of that voice, and was shocked at what she saw. She's not new to mutation quirks (she did, after all, fight Doc Gator), but this student looked like a cover of a teen girl's magazine threw up on her with how pink her skin was. But with her yellow antennas and her black and yellow eyes, she looked like an alien.

"Uh, yeah." She said. As if there were any new students here besides her.

"Gosh, you must have recently come from the beach! I love the tan!" She exclaimed, pointing at her skin.

"Er-... Not exactly. I wasn't really born and raised in Japan, so I don't have the same complexion as you, guys." Mayumi explained, her throat tightening at the number of heads turning towards her.

"Really?! That's so cool! Where were you from? I bet it's somewhere in the tropics! Nobody could get evenly tanned skin like yours in just a few days!" The girl rambled. Mayumi wanted to get out of the room this instant, because first of all, having to move to another country wasn't cool for Mayumi. She had to adjust to a new culture, new school, new language, new everything, and she had to face the fact that what she used to have was no longer welcome to her; Second, her country was in the tropics, but she hated it because she longed for the cold; and third, having tan skin in Japan made her stick out like a sore thumb.

Before she could answer, the door slammed open. A busty woman with raven black hair entered, her face meaning business.

"All right, kids, enough chit chat! Or do I have to send all of you back to the first grade?! Ba ck to your seats!"

~•~

Lunch period came by slowly, and the moment the bell rung, Mayumi was up and out. She left the classroom before one of her classmates could ask her to join them. This, by far, was Mayumi's favorite part of the day. It was the one period that she didn't have to listen to the teacher half asleep, and the one period where she didn't have to deal with her classmate's prying about her life. Alright, maybe (just maybe) it was the kickass food that they were serving in the cafeteria. As Mayumi got her tray of Katsudon, the delicious scent was making its way towards her brain, and Mayumi was sure that it conkedd out for a bit from how good it was. As she was walking, she looked around, thinking of where to sit.

_If I didn't go to school, I wouldn't even have to deal with this shit any-_

She was cut off when someone bumped her from behind, almost making her drop her lunch tray.

"Jesus, watch where you're going!" She exclaimed, turning around to see spiky red hair, and a sharp-toothed grin.

_How much hair gel did he use to get his hair standing up like that?!_

"Hey, it's the new girl!"

_Jesus, if everybody starts labeling me the New Girl, then I'm gonna have to hammer fist myself into a coma._

"I'm Kirishima Eijiro! I'm in your class!" He said, with that same stupid smile on his face. "You're Yami, right?"

_I swear to God, I think everyone in my fucking class trains in smiling, because no normal person would be able to meet this many people who smiles so much._

"Uh, it's actually Yumi. Call me Mayumi or Yumi, I couldn't care less." She said. She was about to blurt out a stupid excuse about meeting someone else in a table outside the cafeteria, when he suddenly grabbed her by the arm and started dragging her to a table.

"Come on, Yami! I'll introduce you to some of the guys! I'm guessing you don't have anywhere to sit, yet. You can sit with us!"

"Um, actually-"

"Hey guys, look who I found!"

_Jesus, I'm not a goddamn puppy._

"Hey, it's the new girl!"

Mayumi almost slammed her lunch tray at the blonde kid with the black highlight on his hair. The only thing that stopped her was the delicious smell of her Katsudon wafting in front of her nose. Of course, out of all of the tables, she had to be dragged to the one where the blonde hotshot was.

_Just great._

At least it wouldn't be too awkward sitting in their table, since she wasn't the only girl sitting there. One of them was the pink girl that ambushed her awhile ago, and the other one was a raven-haired girl with short hair and earphone jacks for her earlobes.

"Come on, take a seat! Don't be shy!" Kirishima said, nudging her to take a seat. She scooted closer beside the earphone-jack girl, and Kirishima sat beside her, blocking her easy way out.

_Dammit._

"That guy over there's Kaminari Denki," Kirishima started, pointing at the blonde with highlights. "Then beside him is Sero Hanta." There was a scrawny-looking guy with hair up to his chin, and another one of those toothy grins.

"Hey, Yumi," Sero said, after taking a bite off his yakisoba bun. "Whenever you need to charge your phone in the middle of class, hand it to this guy right here." He said, pointing at Kaminari, who immediately smacked Sero at the back of the head. Everyone started laughing.

"Come on, guys! Don't make me a walking charger! There's an outlet near Mineta and Uraraka's seat! Why don't you do something about that!"

"And have the President and our VP catch us?" The earphone jack girl asked. "No friggin way!"

"That girl beside you is Jirou Kyouka." Kirishima introduced. The girl just waved her hand at her, and continued eating.

_Okay, this girl's okay._

"And I assume that you know Ashido by now." Kirishima said, taking a bite of donburi from his chopsticks. Mayumi was peacefully eating her lunch -which was even more delicious than it smelled, when she felt the hair on her back stand. She looked up at the blonde hotshot that sat across her, glaring daggers at her.

"The fuck you looking at, Creep?" He asked, and Mayumi huffed and continued eating her Katsudon.

"Oh, right. This one here is Bakugou Katsuki." Kirishima added, as if it was an after-thought, his mouth full of whatever the hell he's eating.

"I thought I told you not to get on my nerves, Hotshot." She said, eating her katsudon without even looking at him. Everyone stopped talking and looked at the both of them in shock.

"What the hell did you say to me, Creep?!"

"Wait, you guys know each other?!" Kirishima asked, looking back and forth between Bakugou and Mayumi.

"We've met." Mayumi said, taking a large bite of her breaded pork.

Wait," Ashido said, standing up. "Were you guys boyfriend and girlfriend or something!" She asked, her eyes bright.

Both of their heads snapped towards Ashido, and if they could breathe fire, their whole table would be on fire.

"Shut the fuck up! As if I'd date that skank!"

"What the hell! He's not my boyfriend!"

Everyone saw Ashido shrunk back to her seat, and it was as if her life flashed before his eyes. Bakugou sat back down again and probably poured the whole bottle of chili oil on his ramen. Mayumi went back to eating, her appetite increasing ten fold.

"Whoa, slow down there, Yami!" Kirishima said, watching Mayumi wolf down the rest of her lunch.

"I eat more when I feel annoyed." She mumbled.

"Didn't know you were such a pig," Bakugou teased, and Kaminari shot Bakugou a worried look. "But I should have known, since you were fat."

"Bakugou, you shouldn't call her a pig! It's totally not manly!" Kirishima warned, and Bakugou exploded at him.

"Does it look like I give a flying fuck, hair for brains?!"

"How did the two of you meet anyways?" Sero asked Mayumi, as Bakugou was busy roasting Kirishima, who reacted to it like it was nothing.

"He goes to the same gym as me." Mayumi said, placing down her empty bowl and gulping down her water.

"Woah, you go to the gym?!" Kirishima asked, completely disregarding Bakugou's seething. "That's so cool!" He exclaimed, and Mayumi shrugged.

"My, uh-... guardian, owns that gym. I've been going there for two years for free." She says.

"Awesome! I usually just work out at home, but as you can see," He says, pulling his sleeve up to reveal his biceps. "I don't need to go to the gym!"

"So what's your quirk, Yumi?" Kaminari asked, and Mayumi looked at them, unsure. Even in the UFR, she knew better than to flat out say what her quirk was. The moment that someone knew what it was, they'd immediately start planning a strategy against her.

"Don't worry! Everyone in our class knows each others' quirks, now. It'll only be a matter of time before we find out yours."

"My quirk? Er-... It's a form of super strength." She said, and Ashido smiled.

"That's so cool! Girl power!" She said raising her fist.

"Yo! You have the same quirk as Midoriya's!" Kaminari beamed, and Kirishima nodded.

"You guys should meet!" Sero followed.

"Yeah! Maybe the two of you could help each other out! You guys would make a heck of a manly duo!" Kirishima suggested.

_Another super strength quirk, huh?_

She was actually giving it some thought, when hands from the other side slammed the table.

"You wouldn't learn jack-shit from Deku," Bakugou seethed, the gleam in his eyes different from the ones she usually sees. "If you'd know better, you'd stay away from that loser and train with someone better."

"What, someone like you?" She asked, raising a brow and meeting his gaze. Both of them knew exactly how their last encounter ended, and she knew that he would loathe to let anyone else know that she managed to knock him off his ass. She could just imagine that a string of curses is at the tip of his tongue right now.

"Fuck you," He exclaimed. "You don't know what you're fucking missing!" He seethed, before standing up and leaving. Mayumi smirked at his retreating form.

She would have an interesting year ahead of her.

~•~

The rest of the day went by like how a normal day in school would.

Mayumi barely processed what the teachers say, and is having a hard time focusing. She was still not accustomed to some Japanese words, therefore, she often has a hard time understanding them. The only subject that she was sure she could pass was English, and it wasn't enough to pull her grades up. She had yet to experience combat and rescue training, but she was looking forward to it.

When the bell rung, just like during lunch, she was up and out.

Before anyone else in her could see her, she rushed to the staff room to change her clothes into the one-piece uniform she was required to wear for her work. She grabbed a medical mask from a box, and a pair of working gloves before heading out. She wore her mask, as to avoid any students from recognizing her. However, the moment that she stepped out of the staff room, the blonde hotshot was leaning on the wall opposite to where she is, glaring at her with those red eyes. Both of them froze and stared at each other for a while, both of them trying to figure each other out.

"The hell are you doing outside the staff room?" Mayumi asked, and Bakugou's eyes turned to slits.

"The fuck are you doing coming out of the staff room?" He returned, and Mayumi sighed.

Touché.

"Get in the fucking room." Bakugou muttered, and Mayumi's eyes widened.

"The hell did you just say?"

"Did I fucking stutter? I said get in the fucking room!" Bakugou hissed, pushing Mayumi back in the staff room, which is not much, actually. It was just a small room with lockers big enough to fit a bag, and a bench in the middle of the room.

"The fuck do you think you're doing, asshole?!" She exclaimed, grabbing the arm that pushed her back into the storage room. She froze when she heard the click of the doorknob locking.

"The fuck?!"

_Shit. Shit. SHIT. This asshole is that kind of a guy?! What the fuck?! Should I knock him out now?!_

Mayumi was going through her options in her head, when she heard the blonde hotshot mutter.

"Train -..."

Mayumi stopped her thoughts, trying to make out Bakugou's face in the dim room.

"What did you say?" She asked.

"Dumbass, I asked you to train with me, dammit!" He exclaimed, and Mayumi swore to herself that she was dreaming. She smirked in the dim room, and she could see that Bakugou was looking anywhere but her face.

"And why the hell would I allow that? You've been nothing but shit to me."

"You knocked me off my ass, and I'd like to make sure that it won't happen again." He said.

What was I expecting? That's probably the closest thing I'll get him to say "I need you".

"So, you want me to teach you?" Mayumi asked, a bit confused.

"No, I want to ride a fucking unicorn and ride off to the sunset. Are you that fucking stupid?!" Bakugou asked, flicking Mayumi on the forehead.

"Ow!" She exclaimed, rubbing the spot where he hit her. "So what if I do say yes? What's in it for me?"

"What, as if training with me isn't enough?!" Bakugou asked. Mayumi just rolled her eyes. The nerve of this guy. She thought for a while, when an idea struck her.

"Could you do my homeworks?" She asked, and she could practically feel Bakugou breathe fire.

"Fuck no!"

"Come on! I'll help you with the physical work while you help me with academic and mental work! It's perfect!"

"Do your fucking homeworks yourself, you lazy ass!"

"Fine, it doesn't have to be you to do it. Just help me out in my studies!"

"No fucking way."

"I'll let you practice knocking me off my feet on the first day of our training."

"..."

"..."

"Fine! Whatever! We start this Saturday after classes."

And just like that, Mayumi has won again.

 


	4. Mayumi vs Bakugou: Round 1

 

This was not how she wanted her first day to go.

 

She was prepared for more embarrassing stuff, like spilling juice on her uniform, or slipping on wet floor, but this would cause panic among her new classmates, and Mayumi was, at all costs, trying to avoid any attention towards her. She didn't want anyone to notice her, because once someone does, they'll be paying real close attention, and Mayumi didn't want anyone paying attention to her life.

 

There had been an accident on her first day in work. While the head of the clean-up operation was explaining things to her, mostly the do's and don'ts while on the job, there was a crash somewhere inside the building beside them. When they rushed inside, a part of the second floor collapsed, with one of their team member's foot under the pile of cement. Neither of the men around her had the strength nor the quirk to lift the huge pile, nor breaking it was out of the question. Without even thinking, Mayumi rushed into the scene and lifted the huge slab of cement, setting the man's foot free. However, she didn't realize that a few more slabs from above came loose, and dropped on her face before she could even block it.

 

Mayumi sighed as she scratched her gauzed cheek, wincing a bit, as she climbed the stairs to her apartment. Once she reached the door to the rooftop, she was shocked to see the lights to her apartment open. It wasn't actually a legitimate apartment to begin with. The old building, including the gym in the first floor, is one of the properties owned by the Manager, and when he took her in, she had to earn for her home and everything she owned at the present.

 

~•~

 

_"That bone-fixin' shit they did on you ain't cheap." The Manager said, smoking a cigar as they sat on a park bench._

 

_Mayumi just sat there, staring into space, still unable to process everything that was happening to her._

 

_This was the stuff of movies –hell, even a hero story, if, you know, the main character was being coerced into illegal dealings. "You gotta find a way to pay me back?"_

 

_Mayumi didn't know what the hell to do._

 

_She was a fifteen year old kid with a huge debt to, what seemed like, a really dangerous man._

 

_"What can I do?" Mayumi said weakly. That was what she was –weak. She wasn't strong enough to deal with her problem. She wasn't strong enough to get a job. She wasn't strong enough to stop her father. If she did, then she wouldn't have been in this situation. This was all her fault._

 

_"You definitely can't work in a bar, that's for sure," The manager said, letting out a puff of pungent smoke. "Whaddaya got, kid?"_

 

_Mayumi thought for a while. She and her dad used to watch televised fights of mixed martial arts. Some of them were local competitions, and some were the international ones like UFC. Her mother, despite having reservations, had a fried who works in a gym, along with an international MMA fighter. She got enrolled there under the condition that she was only to use it for self-defence._

 

_She promised that, and until now, she never used it on anyone._

 

_"I-… I can fight." She mumbled, and the old man beside her stopped, and looked at her._

 

_"What did you say?" He asked, and she looked up at the old man._

 

_"My mother-… She sent me to train how to fight," Mayumi said. "If you have any fights for money, I'll fight them for you until I clear my debt." She said, and the old man smiled._

 

_"Kid, you're goddamn sent from heaven."_

 

~•~

 

Until now, she didn't know if the debt for her hospital bills three years ago were completely paid, but she knows that no matter how many fights she wins, the money would never be enough for her to completely pay the debt that she owed the Manager –her life. Not only did he save her and fix her up two years ago, but he was also the reason why she wasn't starving or living on the streets, now. He brought her in, set her up in an abandoned greenhouse-slash-tool shed on the rooftop, and now, sent her to U.A. to become a hero. She owed him her life, tenfold.

 

That's why she can't screw this up.

 

"The fuck happened to your face?! Your first day, and you already got into a fight?!" The Manager exclaimed, bringing out, what seemed like, a ceramic oven dish out of her oven. He had a cigar between his lips and a glass of scotch on the kitchen island. Mayumi removed her shoes and went to the kitchen, barefooted.

 

"What, I couldn't help it!" Mayumi said, smirking as she took over the saucepan on the stove. By the way it tasted and smelled, it was sweetened cream for _panna cotta_. Mayumi looked ceramic oven dish cooling on the island counter, and smiled as she saw the golden brown crust that she knew all too well.

 

He made her her favorite Chicken Pastel.

 

"Goddamned brat. You're leeching off me, ya know?" The Manager grumbled, getting out two wine glasses with fruit gelatine in it. He poured the cream mixture in it before placing both of them in the freezer.

 

"I'm just kidding. I got this from work," Mayumi explained, getting plates and utensils before setting them up on the island counter. "Dropped a huge block of cement on myself." She said, sitting on one of the bar stools.

 

"Dumbass," The Manager grumbled. "Who the fuck drops cement on theirselves?" He asked, bringing out a bottle of Sake and can of Sprite. He placed them down on the table and set the Sprite in front of Mayumi. She just gave him a small smile before she saw the Sprite in front of her, and the Sake in front of his spot. She looked at him, eyes wide open.

 

"You dare insult my victory on this day with a drink like this?!" She said with a mocking shocked face. The Manager huffed and crossed his arms.

 

"Call that a victory? You're a fucking disgrace," He said, nodding towards her gauzed up face. She stuck out a tongue at him, and smiled.

 

"Come on, old man! Let's eat!"

 

~•~

 

After 5 servings of sake, the Manager left her apartment, going back to his, which was just a few flights below hers. Mayumi cleaned their dishes, fed her dog, and belly flopped on her bed. She checked the time on her bedside table and sighed. It was a quarter to 10, and she's still got homework.

 

"This is why I didn't want to go to school in the first place!" She groaned into her sheets. She felt the bed sink beside her, and she felt a heavy head press down on her back.

 

"Baby, get off, I have to get up!" She groaned at her dobberman. However, the dog didn't even budge, just letting out a sigh of her own. "You're right. I should just wake up early in the morning." She said, standing up amd heading to the bathroom. She stripped off her uniform, until she was in her underclothes, before carefully peeling off the gauzes on her right cheek and upper left brow. What was underneath the gauze was worse. Not only was there a gash along her cheeks, but it was bruised, too.

 

Talk about laying low

 

~•~

 

The next day, her classmates reacted the way that she predicted them to. First, there was murmuring when they saw her face. Then, as soon as she set down her bag, Uraraka was the first one to turn to her.

 

"Yumi-san! Your face!" She exclaimed, pointing at her face. People started to gather around her, looking and pointing at her face. A corner of Mayumi's lip lifted as she scratched the back of her head.

 

"Oh-... I got into an accident." She said, setting down her bag on the hook beside her table. She was assaulted by her pink classmate, and Mayumi backed up to her desk.

 

"Yumi-san! What happened?!" Ashido asked. Mayumi just looked at her.

 

Didn't I just say that I got into an accident?

 

Mayumi wasn't lying, though. A block of cement really did fall on her. The class' vice president, who was nearby, heard the commotion and went to her desk.

 

"Yumi-san! I can give you a concealer for your bruises!" Yaoyorozu suggested, and Mayumi waved her hands no.

 

"Eh?! No, it's fine! I'm going to Recovery Girl once she arrives." She said, and she gave them a small smile. What was the big deal, anyways? Haven't they ever been injured? With the rigorous training in the hero course, Mayumi expected that they'd often get minor injuries like these.

 

"Man, you look like someone beat you up!" Kirishima said, his eyes wide, showing a hint of worry.

 

To think it's just my second day here...

 

"I'm really fine," She said, backing up. She really felt uncomfortable with all these strangers coming up to her. "It really was just an accident." Her classmates, however, were still unconvinced. They gave her this worried look, as if they believe that someone did it to her. She was glad that Iida intervened before her classmates could pry further into her private life.

 

"Everyone, back to your seats! Five minutes before classes start," He announced. Everyone started to return to their respective seats, when Iida approached her. "Mayumi-san, go to Recovery Girl this instant. I will explain your current situation to Aizawa-sensei."

 

Mayumi felt relieved that she could get to skip Homeroom and avoid the questions of her classmates. She didn't exactly want to reveal her status as a student just yet. Besides, they've just met each other, and she didn't know everyone's personality just yet. As she turned to the door to exit the room, she bumped hard into somebody's chest, stumbling back with an 'oof'.

 

"The fuck happened to your face," And yes, it was Mayumi's favourite classmate as of the moment. Baku-fuckin'-go. "Somebody finally fixed it for ya?" He asked, a shit eating grin on his face. She shoved him out of the way and just continued walking, sighing to herself. They haven't even started training yet, and he already made her want to beat him to submission. Just strangle all the air out of him until his ego withers down to a size of a peanut.

 

_Just wait until you start your training... I'm gonna give you a real fucking beating._

 

The trip to Recovery Girl was a short lived one. Mayumi thought that a healing quirk would be more-... ethereal. However, the moment Recovery Girl saw her, she just wrote a clinic slip and kissed the back of her hand. When Mayumi looked at the mirror, her bruises were gone, and when she removed her gauzes, so was the gash on her cheek. She gave the slip to Present Mic, who was the teacher in charge when she went in, and she wordlessly went back to her seat.

 

"Alright there, young lady?" He asked, a little too loud for the morning. Mayumi cringed at his accent, his 'lady' sounding like 'laydeh'. Mayumi just huffed and shrugged, and Present Mic mock shivered.

 

"Brrr... so cold."

 

Classes went by uneventfully for Mayumi, and the more time she spent in school, the less she saw the point of it. When the bell rang, she stood up and started to walk out, her mood sour once more. She's starting to miss the days when she got to read the books she wanted to, when her time was owned by her.

 

"If you're always going to end up being beat up, then there's no fucking point in training with you, is there?" A voice said from behind her, and she knew, without looking, who it was.

 

"I wonder, if I beat your ass, then doesn't that mean that you're far worse than me?" Mayumi thought out loud, smirking to herself as she continued to walk. She felt a hand on her arm, pulling her to a stop.

 

"You better watch that fucking mouth of yours, fuck-face." He hissed as she faced him, and she raised a brow.

 

"And you better watch that attitude of yours," She said, smirking as she leaned close beside his ear. "Or would you like me to tell everyone in your class how I swept you off your feet and strangled you to submission in seconds?" Even if she didn't see it, she knew that Bakugou's eyes went wide, and she immediately felt the collar of her shirt and her necktie being grabbed in the front. Mayumi was no stranger to fist fights, even outside of the Fighting Ring. In fact, it was in school rumbles where she started her fighting career. The moment Bakugou grabbed her by the shirt, she had his fisted around hers, too, and both of their arms already raised, ready to punch. However, before they could even touch each other, they were pulled back by strips of material that Mayumi knew all too well.

 

"The fuck?!"

 

"Just one fucking punch to wipe that shit eating grin off his face!"

 

"SILENCE!" One glare from their advisor was enough to shut the both of them up. However, they still glared at each other, and both of them knew that this fight was far from over.

 

~•~

 

That was how they found themselves sitting on the opposite sides of the couch in the teacher's lounge. They sat in silence, waiting with dread for their adviser to arrive. Mayumi leaned on the armrest, her chin on her hand.

 

"I remember you now," Bakugou muttered, and Mayumi looked to her side, raising an eyebrow at Bakugou. "You're that fucking brawler from Aldera High, aren't you?" Mayumi stayed silent, arms crossed as she looked away from him. This seemed to confirm Bakugou's question. "You must be fucking used to this, huh?"

 

"As a matter of fact, yes. I'm fucking used to this cuz I always end up beating up the asses of whoever implies that I'm fucking weak." Mayumi muttered back, gripping the arm rest.

 

"Fucking rich, coming from a beat-up shit-face." Bakugou said, smirking. Mayumi huffed. If it was going to be like this during their training sessions, then she couldn't train with him.

 

"Look, if you want to train with me, then we gotta make a deal. If you keep this fucked up attitude up, then I might just knock your teeth off for real." Mayumi said, and Bakugou scoffed.

 

"As if that would fucking happen." He said, crossing his own arms.

 

"I'm serious," She said, looking at Bakugou, a serious gleam in her eyes. "If you are serious about training with me, then we need to lay some ground rules, and the first one is no bringing up of personal history." Bakugou stayed silent for a while. He was about to answer back when the sliding door opened, and their adviser came in, glaring at both of them. If there was a glare that could get them to shut up, it was his. Aizawa sat on a chair in front of them, looking at them with tired, but stern eyes.

 

"Who grabbed whose collar first?" He asked, and both of them looked down. It wasn't until strips of metal shot out towards them, forcing the both of them to look up. "Who started it?" He asked, and Mayumi huffed.

 

"Bakugou." She said, and Aizawa looked at the explosive blonde, who was looking at anywhere, but him.

 

"Is this true?" Their teacher asked, and Bakugou (almost) pouted, looking grumpy as ever.

 

"Not like I punched her or somethin'." He grumbled, and the metal strip around him tightened even more, causing him to yelp.

 

"They don't pay me enough for this," Their adviser muttered under his breath. "Given your goal to top this class, I do not think that it would count if you start the record of this year's school brawls." Aizawa drawled, and the blonde hotshot looked away. Mayumi sniggered, and regretted it the moment that she did. The metal around her tightened, too, and she let out a surprised yelp.

 

"And you, Mayumi. I expected better from you," Aizawa said. "Given that you were given a special consideration into this school and your status as a working student, I expect that you'd know the gravity of an offense like instigating a school brawl." Mayumi looked down, gritting her teeth. She didn't want anyone knowing that she was a working student, and even more so, she doesn't want this blonde hotshot to know shit. She expects that he'd be rubbing it on her face, saying that she's too poor or something. She wasn't really poor, per say. She earned money from her fights. A part of it goes to the Manager, and what's left for her, she saves it.

 

"Just make sure that this doesn't happen again," Aizawa said, before releasing the both of them. "Dismissed."

 

When the two of them went out of the lounge, she expected that he would be aggressive once again, or even send a glare. When they got out, she saw Bakugou just look at her for a while, before turning on his own heels and leaving.

 

"Deal's still fucking on, shit-face."

 

~•~

 

"The fuck, are you still half asleep?"

 

Bakugou walked in right on time, gym bag hanging on his shoulder as he wore a polo shirt over a black tank top. Mayumi was sitting cross legged in the octagon ring, her hair tied up, sunglasses on, and sipping a cup of what seemed to be iced coffee.

 

"Get dressed, hotshot. We're late for warm-up." She said, slurping the rest of her drink.

 

"Are you fucking hung over?!" He exclaimed, and Mayumi rolled her eyes from behind her glasses.

 

"No! I'm not used to waking up this early and I need to be awake the whole day."

 

"It's fucking 1 in the afternoon, shit-face."

 

"Exactly, now get moving!" She scolded. Bakugou dropped his gym bag on the side of the octagon before stepping in. Mayumi threw her glasses to the side and set aside her cup before they started with standard stretching, before getting to the actual warm ups. Once done, they stood in front of each other, already building up a thin sheen of sweat. Mayumi held up two focus mitts in front of him.

 

"Throw a punch," She said. Bakugou wasted no time, and punched the left mitt with his right swing. Mayumi looked at his punch and bit her lip. "Your punch is slow, but it's powerful. You build up momentum while swinging your right arm, but you need to be faster." She said, removing her focus mitts and standing behind him, fixing his stance by nudging his feet apart with her foot.

 

"Remain relaxed, but balanced. Speed and presence of mind is the most important thing in hand-to-hand combat. Without it, you'd end up beaten black and blue." Mayumi explained, and she stood beside him. She raised her fists to the level of her face, just below eye level. Bakugou imitated it, and Mayumi went behind him again.

 

"Relax your shoulders," She said, tapping both of his shoulder blades and releasing it a bit. "You lock the joints on your shoulder, the slower your movements will be." Mayumi then stood in front of him, facing away from him and giving a few jabs.

 

"Jabs –might be weaker than punches with momentum, but quicker and very painful if it hits the center of your opponent's face." She said. Bakugou let out a few jabs on his own, and Mayumi lifted her hands to her face, receiving his jabs. "Now, the position of your hands must high enough to protect your face, but enough to give you a view, too. Now, jab!" She said, Bakugou sending a jab through his imaginary target. She was shocked that ever since they started, Bakugou hasn't said a word, silently complying to her instructions.

 

_You're pretty quiet right when you're training. Hope you stay like that every single day._

 

Mayumi smiled to herself. Maybe training _1_ with Bakugou wouldn't be a bad thing at all.

 

They ended their training session with their cool-down, which consisted of more stretching and breathing exercises. Mayumi looked out and saw that the sky was beginning to darken. She knows that their deal was for him to help her with her studies while she helps him in his training, but it was already late. Despite being a shitty person, she didn't want to cause him trouble from whoever was waiting at his home.

 

"Okay, training's done," She said, grabbing her stuff and getting out of the octagon. "It's late. You better get going." She said. She nodded at him before leaving, both of them knowing that this day wasn't a fair deal for one of them.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so late, and I am so sorry


	5. Mayumi vs. Midoriya

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should be writing an RRL instead of this one, but oh well
> 
> (It turned out to be longer than I expected)

Mayumi was fucked.

It all started with the previous night. With her new daily schedule in attending school, her usual routines got screwed up. She would usually walk the dog every morning, be able to cook herself breakfast, go to the gym every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and usually walk the dog every morning. So given the routine that she had been living for months, her dead self was deaf to the alarm she had set early in the morning. Instead of walking at five in the morning, she woke up five hours later. The moment she saw the time, she shot up from bed and bolted to the bathroom, turning into a flurry of water, shampoo, and soap. She hastily put on her uniform, grabbed her bag, and ran out of her building.

That brings her to her situation now: starving and late. She was running along the hallways of U.A., leaping up the staircases until she reached her floor. The moment she got to her classroom, she slid the door open.

"I'm sorry I'm late, sensei!" She said, her head bowed, clutching her crumpled slip in her hands as she held it out to their current teacher. She heard the clack of heels, and it stopped right in front of her. Mayumi's breath hitched, and she dare not raise her head, knowing that she wasn't as tall as the pro hero Midnight, and that she wouldn't want to put herself into an awkward situation.

"Make sure not to do it again in my class," Was all she said as she took the slip and walked away. "Go to your seat. Bring out a clear paper. You're drawing today." The pro hero said, walking back to the teachers' desk. Mayumi walked down her aisle, and dropped to her desk. She sighed and opened her bag, only to realize that the only things she managed to bring was her notebook and a pen.

_Shit._

She looked around, and felt her cheeks flush as she saw her classmates, silent as they worked on their drawing. She felt her heart pounding in her chest before leaning in front of her and tapping the shoulder of the person in front of her.

"Er-... Uraraka, do you have paper?" She whispered. Her seatmate just smiled and handed her a piece of bond paper. "Thanks. What are we supposed to do again?" The moment that question was asked, a whip slammed down in front of her desk, making Mayumi jolt back so hard that her chair tipped back, her head hitting the floor hard. She looked up and flushed at the sight of the pro hero standing in front of her in the flesh, the full representation of a dominatrix that Mayumi often found weird.

"If you have any questions, you would direct it to me, and only me. Do not disturb your classmates for the sake of your own carelessness." The woman scolds, her tone harsh and authoritative. Mayumi gulped, and nodded the best that she can while lying down. "And for your information, you are to draw modifications to your current hero costume, to be submitted by the end of the day."

As her teacher walked away, she composed herself and fixed her chair.

 _Hero costume? I don't even have one_. Mayumi thought. She stared at her paper, and held her pen in her hands. _What the hell do I draw?_

"Alright! Time's up! Pass your papers!" Mayumi sighed and plopped her pen on her desk. She did the best that she could, drawing the only costume that she knew how to wear and the only costume that she felt comfortable wearing –her costume as the Iron Lady.

"Yumi-san, this is your costume?" Uraraka asked her as she passed the papers to Iida. Mayumi shrugged and set her hands to her table. Her costume was just a simple sports bra, with shorts that reached her thigh, and her fighting gloves. She added a few tweaks to her costume, like instead of nylon shorts, she went for a material like cargo. She added shoes –whatever shoes she could think of, and instead of her usual face paint, she opted for a black mask that covered her eyes.

"Isn't it a bit too... revealing?" Uraraka asked, and Mayumi shrugged. She never really saw it that way. Whenever she wore it, she never thought about men leering at her exposed stomach and legs. Whenever she wore it, she always thought of how fast she could move without all those flashy designs and parts constricting her.

"It's efficient for fighters." Was all Mayumi said, before her name was called.

"Nitta Mayumi!" Her head shot up, and everyone looked at her. Her brows went up as she looked at Midnight, who seemed to be holding and analyzing her paper. Her teacher looked at her, eyes unreadable. "You see me after class."

~•~

"My dear, do you plan on going half naked in a fight?"

Mayumi was standing in the faculty room, in front of Midnight's desk. Being in the faculty room felt so intimidating, and Mayumi felt like she was trespassing. Seeing so many pro heroes, some she's seen on television, felt like she was in a conference of celebrities that she accidentally fell into.

"Explain why you opt to only wear a bra and a pair of undershorts into a fight." Midnight asked her, and Mayumi looked at the pro hero. She didn't seem mad at all, but only curious.

"Sensei-... I don't have a costume, yet." Mayumi said.

"Then design one."

"But I haven't given much thought to it. I've only just started classes last week." Mayumi reasoned, and Midnight gave it a thought.

"What is your quirk, young lady?" She asked.

"It's a strength amplifier. The strength of everything I hit is always times two, and it always depends on my body mass." She explained.

"Hmm... So you'll be more of the fighting type." Midnight said, and Mayumi nodded.

"I guess so."

"Do you take any fighting lessons?"

"I train in mixed martial arts. Yaw-Yan, sensei." She said, and Midnight grinned.

"Excellent! I rarely meet younglings who train in the martial arts anymore! You would sure be useful in combat training, then." She said, a plan already forming in her mind.

"Is that all that you would be needing, sensei?" Mayumi asked, and Midnight handed her a paper.

"I was simply intrigued by your costume design. I, myself, am not new to revealing hero costumes, but I was concerned about yours. Protection wise, your stomach would be an obvious target, given that it is exposed. I sketched a suggestion for your costume. Maybe you would want to put it into thought." Midnight said, and Mayumi nodded as she took the paper.

"Thank you, sensei."

"Now, off you go! You better eat and get changed early. Your next class will be combat training."

~•~

"Yumi-san!"

_Shit, can't they just leave me be?_

Mayumi turned to see her female classmates together, walking towards her.

"Yumi-san! Are you going to get changed, too?" Ashido asked. As they neared, Mayumi noticed that they had their gym bags hanging on their shoulders.

"We're also on our way to the locker rooms! Let's go there together!" Uraraka suggested.

_Goddamn. Why do they always sound so cheery? No one could ever be that cheery._

"Okay." Mayumi said, walking with the group of girls. She went to the side of their small group as she listened to them laugh and talk about... well, girly stuff. Mayumi was never one for cosmetics and skin care. She really just washes her face with a cheap face wash she bought, and that's about it. She never saw that need to buy face creams, face masks, or even God forbid, spray on moisturizers. So as she walked to the locker rooms with the girls, she knew just from that short walk that she had nothing in common with them, and that they probably would never get along.

"Yumi-san! From which school did you come from?" Hagakure asked, and Mayumi had to look real hard to be able to notice where the hell that invisible girl was.

"She went to the same school as Midoriya and Bakugou!" Ashido exclaimed, and Uraraka, who was next to her, just looked at her, eyes wide.

"So you've known them even before coming here?" Uraraka asked, and Mayumi thought about it.

"It's hard to not notice Bakugou in a school. We weren't classmates, but I've heard of him. As for the other one-... Midoriya? I've never heard of him." Mayumi said, and Uraraka smiled.

"Let's eat lunch together, then, Yumi-san! I'll introduce you to Deku-kun!" Uraraka said. Mayumi just let out a small smile and scratched the back of her head. It was already quite awkward for her, sharing a table with Kirishima –it would even feel more so with Uraraka. They were people who have known each other for months, now, and they talk about things that they have in common –their classes, hero stuff, and even Japanese Pop Culture.

Mayumi knew none of those things.

She barely knew her classes, she definitely doesn't know and doesn't want to know the first thing about being a hero, and given the few years she's been here, she can't say that she likes Japanese Pop Culture. Anime and manga, sure, she would read and watch from time to time. But besides the ones she had mentioned, she wouldn't even think or ponder about it. She pondered again about her walk on the way to the lockers.

Mayumi was already certain that she had no place in this school.

~•~

"The fuck are you wearing?!"

Mayumi didn't have a hero costume, yet. She didn't even know that she had to design one, until Midnight told her. Now that the topic about her hero costume was brought up, she might just use the design that Midnight gave her. For today's Combat Training, Mayumi wore the only thing she had in her bag –her fighting clothes. She wore her sports shorts and her P.E. shirt over it with a black elbow sleeve and simple white rubber shoes. She might have looked stupid, but it was either this, or she could look like she forgot to wear clothes. That brings her to her predicament –all of them gathered in a gym, her blonde hotshot of a student judging her without even trying to.

"Me? What about you? Looks like a 10 year old war freak threw up on you!" Mayumi said, pointing at Bakugou's costume. She went near his costume and lifted his grenade gauntlets, cackling. "What the hell are these?! Couldn't your costume get any more stupid?"

"The only thing stupid here is your fucking face!" Bakugou exclaimed, aiming to punch Mayumi, but was disrupted when a booming voice sounded from above.

"Good Morning, younglings!" Mayumi looked up to see a figure descending from the ceiling, until he landed in front of them. Mayumi's eyes widened as she saw who stood before them. She saw him on television and on the internet, often, and now here he was in the flesh.

All Might, the number one hero.

Mayumi was never one to stay tuned to Hero news, but seeing this one in the flesh -... His mere presence was overwhelming.

"You may be seated. I am guessing that you were able to rest well over the weekend? Today will be tough, and today's training will need your all. Today, we will be training your hand to hand combat skills!"

_Sweet. This is it. If there is any class that can pull my averaged grade up, this is it._

Mayumi's back suddenly straightened as All Might explained the importance of this training.

"There might come a time when your quirk would be rather irrelevant to your opponent. Take for example, your adviser, Eraserhead. He could disable your quirk, and therefore, you cannot rely on that to defeat him. If you find yourself in a situation similar to that, then that is when hand-to-hand combat can save your life." All Might explained. He seemed to look at them, assessing who he would pick. He grinned even wider as he pointed at the two students in the crowd.

"Midoriya, Nitta, up and center." All Might said, and Mayumi shrugged, going beside All Might. She saw a boy with green -well, everything, stand up and walk towards them.

_So this was Midoriya._

"Now, let's see the two of you spar, and we'll discuss what you did wrong after your spar. We'll start from there. You have two minutes to make the other submit." All Might said, before stepping back, and giving the two of them space. Mayumi readied her arms, raising her fists to her face as she spread her legs apart. She heard the whistle start, and Midoriya raised his hands to his fighting stance.

_Sloppy. Too damn sloppy._

Mayumi started to circle around Midoriya, her steps careful as she eyed his stance and how he moves. Everything above his shoulders was exposed and she could probably get him with a side sweep. A quick roundhouse kick, and she'd knock him off to wrangle him to submission. Mayumi decided to go for the roundhouse. She took a few steps forward, before propelling herself to land a swift kick to the side of Midoriya's head.

_Why the heck is everyone telling me to meet this guy? He looks limp as hell._

Mayumi guessed right when she thought that Midoriya couldn't handle it. Without the proper footwork and stance, she one would immediately lose their balance with a kick like that –and she wasn't even using her quirk nor her full strength. Midoriya only heard ringing in his ears as he lay on all fours, trying to shake the blur in his eyes. He didn't even get the chance to blink before he felt an arm hook around his neck and force him to his back, Instead of the matted floor of the gym, he could now see the bright lights of the gym, the ceiling also present in his vision. He tried to move, but his arms were somehow pinned down, and the ground felt uneven, as if he wasn't laying down on something flat. Midoriya's eyes widened as he realized that it was Mayumi underneath him. However, he had no time to feel flustered when he felt pressure on his neck, not enough to squeeze the air out of him, but enough to make him cough. His arms struggled as he flailed, tapping the matted ground. He felt the arm around his neck let him go, and his arms were free.

Everything happened, so fast, that nobody knew how to properly react.

The girls felt proud of the girl power, some of the boys felt terrified, some were amazed, one was oddly turned on by the struggling, and one was envious of how she was able to bring down Midoriya in a minute. But one thing's for sure; all of their jaws were left hanging.

All Might helped them up, and went to Midoriya to make sure that he was all right.

"I'm fine –just feeling woozy from the kick." Midoriya said holding his head, and Mayumi looked at him.

"You wouldn't have gotten it if you had the proper stance." Mayumi said to him. "Your feet were off and your arms weren't raised high enough. You could have grabbed my leg if you had the proper stance."

"And you did not think mention that you had training prior to this class?" All Might asked, and Mayumi had to look up to him just to try to look at him in the eye.

"Nobody seemed to ask," Mayumi said, and All Might chuckled at that. "Although I might have taken it a bit too seriously." Mayumi muttered to herself, and All Might chuckled even more.

"Do not worry, young Nitta. It is good that you let your actions speak for yourself," All Might said, patting her on the shoulder. "And Midoriya, learn from this experience. Take what young Nitta had said, and learn from her advice," He said, patting Midoriya in the back. "Now, back to your seats, so that we may resume our lessons."

~•~

"Young Nitta, a word with you." All Might said as her classmates left the gym. Their class was finished, and he had sent them back to change and go on to their lunch break. Mayumi stayed, like her teacher requested.

"Yes, sensei?" Mayumi asked, looking up at All Might again.

_If he doesn't kneel down when talking to me, I'm going to have a stiff neck... For real._

"Young Nitta, may I ask where you learned to fight?" All Might asked.

"At a local gym in my country, sensei. It was cheap, a family friend owned it, and they fought good, so my parents enrolled me for lessons." Mayumi said, and All Might seemed to smile even more.

"Good, good. May I ask a question, young Nitta?" Mayumi just nodded, as if asking him to go on. "I've heard of the recent accident that you had, during the clearing operations in Ground Beta, and when I read your file, you are a working student here," I already know that. No need to remind me of my stupid fate. "Would you consider switching to becoming a teacher's aide for me?"

Now that, Mayumi was not expecting. She was expecting him to scold her for going too hard on Midoriya awhile ago, or even threaten her expulsion or suspension from that stunt she did –anything but this.

"What do you mean?" Mayumi asked, and All Might grinned.

"It's simple. You help me teach these students the correct forms, the correct posture, the correct everything, instead of picking up rubble." All Might said, and Mayumi didn't even think about it.

"Sure." Was all she said.

"That's all?" All Might asked, and she shrugged.

"If I am to do a job, it would be better to do something that I love, right?" Mayumi asked. It was what her parents always told her. She just never thought that she would end up loving fighting.

"That's more like it! Keep that thought up, and you would be a great hero some day!" All Might said, patting Mayumi at the back, but she stayed silent.

She knew that she never will be a great hero. She's sure of it.

~•~

Mayumi left the gym after that small talk with All Might. He said that he'll take care of the request for transfer, and that he would be handling everything. All she had to do was show up.

_Sweet._

"Nitta-san!" She heard a voice call from the side. She turned to see a mop of green hair running towards her? and Mayumi knew that it was Midoriya, that guy he fought awhile ago. She stopped walking to let Midoriya catch up to her.

"Midoriya-kun. What's wrong?" She asked, as he slowed down.

"Let's walk back together," He said. As if Mayumi had a choice, they started walking back together. "You were really great back there, Nitta-san." Midorya said, scratching the back of his head.

"Midoryia-kun, Yumi would do. And thank you, but it's nothing special." She said, keeping her eyes on the main building as they walked.

"But compared to the rest of us, you know more about combat, Yumi-san! That's quite special, don't you think?" He asked, smiling at her, and she just shrugged.

Jeez, it's just fighting.

"Where did you learn how to fight, Yumi-san?" He suddenly asked, and Mayumi sighed. She should really make a list of answers to questions about her and stick it to her back or her forehead.

"I studied Yaw Yan in my country, in a gym owned by a family friend. I moved, but I didn't stop." She explained.

"Yaw Yan? It's the first time I've heard of that. Is that a fighing style?" He asked, and Mayumi just nodded. "How does it work?"

Mayumi stopped abruptly and turned to face Midoriya.

"Okay, what's your deal? What, am I up for inspection or something? What's with the twenty question?" Mayumi asked, and Midoriya seemed to freeze on the spot.

"Er-... It's just that I heard from Kirishima that you had a quirk similar to mine. I-... I just wanted to ask... how do you control your strength?"

_**Be careful, Mayumi!** _

_I can't help it, Lola..._

_**What do you mean you can't help it?! You can't keep breaking things in my house!** _

_I'm sorry... I-I don't know how to-..._

_**The next vase you'll break, you're out of this house!** _

_Why the fuck is this coming back now? Shut the fuck up!_

"It was a necessary precaution," Mayumi answered, a bit roughly as she tried to shut out he horrid memory. "I managed to break nearly everything in our house before we knew that my quirk started to appear." She explained.

"Does your quirk take a toll on your body?" Midoriya asked, as they started walking again.

"Yes. If I go past my weight limit, the amount of tears on the fibers in my muscle doubles from the regular tears." Mayumi explained as they entered the main building.

"How did you manage to hold back?" He asked, eyes wide as he tried to catch up to her.

"I-..." How **did** she manage to control her quirk?

_**For fuck's sake, learn how to, damn you!** _

_**You careless brat! That's another vase!** _

_**Mayumi, please, just stop it!** _

_But... I-... I don't know how._

"I don't know. I saw the need to just do something about it, and I started to handle things in a more gentle way, I guess." Mayumi said thoughtfully. It was true. Circumstances in life demanded her to do something about her strength. She kept that in mind, and one day, she suddenly stopped breaking things.

"So it's a matter of the force you apply." Midoriya muttrred to himself, his fingers on his chin as if in deep thought.

"Does... Does it happen to you, too?" Mayumi quietly asked, as they walked. Midoriya suddenly stopped and removed his right glove to reveal a crooked and scarred hand.

"I got this recently, after the sports festival." He said, and Mayumi looked at his hand. Mayumi suddenly revealed her own, which was covered by her elbow sleeve on her right arm. She lifted it to show a jagged scar from the tip of her elbow, to the middle of her forearm.

"The tendon in my elbow nearly ripped during an accident, and my bones shattered. They put it back together and now, I have to be even more careful with it." Mayumi said, before rolling back her elbow sleeve.

"So the sleeve is for control." Midoriya muttered to himself, bringing out a burnt notebook and writing in it. He kept muttering to himself.

"I have to buy a sleeve for my arm for control. If that doesn't work, I need to train in controlling the force of my smashes..."

"It's like giving a bro-fist to a baby." Mayumi said, which interrupted Midoriya's train if thought.

"Eh- what was that, Yumi-san?" He asked, the both of them stopping in front of the girls' locker room.

"When you train, try picturing yourself giving a bro-fist to a baby with your power." Mayumi said, before going inside the locker room, leaving Midoriya shocked.

If her quirk was always active, that meant that she had to be gentle with everything she did...

Else, she'd break them.

~•~

Mayumi decided to wear her earphones this time, so that if someone thinks of calling her, she could pretend that she didn't hear them. She had her tray of rice with tempura as she tried to look for a spot wherein no one could bother her. Trash Candy was blaring through her ears as she weaved trough the crowd. She could feel the hair on her neck standing from the feeling if someone trying to call her, but she ignored it She underestimated the persistence of her classmates when she felt a tap on her shoulder. There was no way she could ignore that without looking like a bitch, so she turned around to meet the bright eyes of her seatmate. She was trying to say something, but she couldn't hear it, with Trash Candy blaring through her earohones.

"I'm sorry, what?" She asked Uraraka, who just smiled.

"Yumi-san, come eat lunch with us!"

_Goddamnit, if she smiles like that, how the hell could I refuse?_

Mayumi just nodded as she followed Uraraka to their table. There, she saw Iida, Midoriya, and a guy with two hair colors. Mayumi remembers that he's in her class, but she never got to know his name. He looks at her, and Mayumi felt a chill as he looked into his eyes. She's never met someone with two eye colors -she only ever saw it on Siberian Huskies, but never on people. As she looked into his ice-like eye, she felt as if her heart froze -as if he was starting to read too much of her.

She sat beside him, nonetheless.

"Yumi-san! Glad you could join us," Midoriya said as she settled down beside the half-and-half guy. He stayed silent as he continued to eat his, what looked like to be, Soba. "Yumi-san, I think that we have met before" He said, and Mayumi shrugged.

"I went to Aldera in my junior high so you've probably seen me around."

"Ah, so we could have met earlier, then! And that's why you seem to know Kacchan!" He said, taking a bite of his Katsudon.

"What? Who's Kacchan?"

There was silence between them for a while, before Midoriya scratched the back of his head and smiled.

"I forgot... You're still a new student here." Midoriya said, and Mayumi thought about it.

"Wait, is Kacchan... AHAHAHAHAHA!" Mayumi said, holding her stomach as she laughed. "What a cute nickname for a guy like him!"

"I've been calling him Kacchan ever since we were little." Midoriya said, and Mayumi grinned. She has a new name for Bakugou, and it is a name that she would never let go.

"You guys are childhood friends, then?" Mayumi asked, and she took a bite of her tempura, relishing the soft shrimp between her teeth, and the umami flavor of the ginger sauce.

"We used to be, but, er-..."

"Bakugou-kun just wants to get rid of Deku-kun, now." Uraraka said, and Mayumi's brow went uo.

"Isn't he-... I don't know, mad at everyone?" She asked, and Uraraka laughed.

"He is, but for some reason, he hates Deku-kun the most."

"Eh, that's just Kacchan," Midoriya said, scratching the back of his head again. "He's still good at what he does. He placed first in the entrance exam, and he won in the Sport's Fest."

"Wait, that idiot won?!" She exclaimed.

"Yes! He even fought against Uraraka and Todoroki." Midoriya said, nodding at the guy beside Mayumi.

"It won't happen again," Todoroki said. "I'll beat him for sure next time." He said, before returning to his food.

_So far, he's the only one keeping it real... I don't know him, but I'm starting to like him already._

"Well, I'm counting on that."

"Hey, Yumi-san! I forgot to mention! You were so cool during Combat Training awhile ago!" They were on their way back to the classroom, amd Uraraka was hopping from her enthusiasm. Mayumi had to smile a bit at that.

_How cute._

"Er-... Thanks, I guess."

_God, don't ask me where I learned it._

"Although, you could have gone easy on Deku-kun." Iida said, waving his hand at Midoriya.

"Yumi-san, do you think you could teach us a thing or two?" Uraraka asked as she started to punch the air.

"Er-..."

_Training with Bakugou is already taking up too much time._

"Yumi-san, you don't have to do it if you can't. We won't force you." Midoriya said, and Mayumi gave him a small smile.

"I would if I could, but I still have training during weekends," Mayumi said. "But if you need me to correct your stances and forms, I could help."

Uraraka raised her fist up as if she just won a prize.

Mayumi didn't know it at the moment, but it was on this day that she had people she could start calling her friends.

~•~

"Oi, shitface!"

Mayumi kept walking. If he wanted to talk to her, she'll let him exert the effort of catching up. She still has a dog to feed and take care of when she gets home, and she doesn't want to go home to an angry, and a cranky dobberman.

"Oi! Shitface! You with the blue fucking sling bag!"

Mayumi had to stop before the both of them embarrass theirselves. They were still in their uniforms, and Mayumi didn't want Bakugou to start a scene. She turned to face the blonde hotshot.

"What?! Make it quick! I've got things to do!" She said as Bakugou approached her.

"You rubbing shoulders with Deku?" He asked, and Mayumi shrugged.

"I dont know -maybe? What's your deal, anyway?" Mayumi asked.

"You fucking start training with him, our whole deal is off!" Bakugou said, and Mayumi chuckled sarcastically.

"You mean the deal we had where I'll spend half of my day training you without getting paid? Sure, as if I have something to lose from that." Mayumi said.

"You're not training me, shitface! You're training with me!"

"Yeah. Sure. Now are you done? I've got an angry dog to feed." She said, and Bakugou harumphed.

"Stay away from Deku if you know what's good for ya." He said, before stalking away.

_You mean I should stay away cuz you knows what's good for you._

~•~

The first thing that greeted Mayumi was her dog circling around her with a wagging tail. Then, there was the smell.

"The fuck, Baby? That fucking stinks!"

Taking care of a dog wasn't like how they always show it in social media. Dogs are adorable, yes. They are cute, smart, and look like as if humans don't deserve such perfect creatures like them.

But they shit and piss a lot, and it stinks real bad. And when they shit, it can get messy.

"Baby, out!" She scolded at her dog. The dobberman followed her order, and she went out. Mayumi covered her nose as she went in, scooping the dog's shit on the way to her room.

When she finally cleaned both the floor and herself, she plopped down on the bed in nothing but her underwear. She crawled to her bag, which was just on the chair, to get the sketch that Midnight gave her. Oddly enough, from someone who wears such an expilict costume, the sketch in her hands was drawn reasonably. It consisted of cargo shorts up to her mid thigh, and a top with a thin layer of kevlar. The top was a sleevless turtleneck with a zipper from the top 'till the collarbone. It would be similar to a one-piece swimsuit, butbshe had the shorts to cover her legs up. It looked like the shorts that an adventurer would wear, but based on Midnight's description, the material should be lighter.

Mayumi liked it, and she decided that she'll register it over the weekend.

_Wait a sec..._

Why was she suddenly into this? The costume, the trainings, her time? When did going to a hero school become part of her priorities? She laid down on the bed, turning to look at the glass panes that overlooked the city.

She can never be a hero.

If being a hero meant risking your own life, meant being stupid enough to rush into danger, then she was never going to be a hero...

It was a pledge she swore three years ago, and she has no plan on breaking it anytime soon.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Am I the only one who was kind of disappointed with the new opening sequence? And for the updated manga readers, any thoughts on the recent chapter? I'm legit curious how that encounter would turn out.


	6. Mayumi vs Hagakure: Part 1

“Again!”

Mayumi leaned on the corner post, arms crossed as she watched Bakugou try to execute a high kick. However, despite his pure skill in combat, he still lacked the flexibility to perform a high kick, and ended up making a regular one, instead.

“What a sloppy kick, Kacchan!” Mayumi huffed, smirking as she saw his eyes widen and his brows furrowing.

“The fuck did you just call me?!”

“Time’s running out, Kacchan,” Mayumi said, raising a brow and smirking. “Wanna get better faster? Better start practicing those kicks, now.” Mayumi said, and she jumped back at the sparks that started to appear at his palm. “Hey, you burn down this building, this whole deal is as good as gone. Find yourself another teacher, if that’s your wish.”

_Ha, so that’s his quirk? Fireworks?!_

Bakugou just huffed as he started to kick again, barely hitting the tape she marked on the top part of the punching bag.

“I thought I told you to stay the fuck away from Deku.” He said, before sending off another kick, which seemed harder, but didn’t quite hit the spot.

“Well, I don’t always do what I’m told, so there’s that,” Mayumi said, shrugging. “What’s with him, anyways? You two had trouble in paradise or something?” She asked, walking towards Bakugou, who seemed to purposefully miss the punching bag for his leg to hit Mayumi’s side. However, Mayumi’s reflexes were fast, and she managed to catch his wrapped foot, holding it in a tight grip. “Keep that up, and you might just start mastering the first step to a round-house kick, instead of a high one.”

“Stop getting under my fucking skin, shitface!”

“Then start showing me some perfect high kicks!” Mayumi said, throwing his foot down, only for Bakugou to send a jab right to her face, which she dodged easily. He was definitely taller than her, that was for sure, but that didn’t mean that he had the upper hand. She was fully equipped to fight those who are way taller than boys and men like Bakugo.

She took steps to the side whenever Bakugou tried to hit her. The thing about martial arts is that it required discipline and patience, and Mayumi was patient enough to stay on defense, until Bakugou let his guard down and gave in to the frustration. He started to throw sloppy, but powerful punches, alternating between his left and right fists, until Mayumi found an opening when he decided to send a right hook. She stepped to the side and grabbed his fist with her one hand and grabbed the back of his neck with the other. She pulled him until he lost balance and fell. She twisted his arm to his back and grabbed his other hand, straddling him to pin him down to the ring mat. He struggled underneath her, and Mayumi felt as if any time now, he was going to start breathing out fire.

“You’re quick, I’ll give you that. You have a good reflex,” Mayumi commented. “But you lack patience, and if you keep it up, that would be your downfall.” She said, before releasing his arms and getting up. Mayumi held out a hand to help Bakugou up, but he slapped it away, getting up by himself. “Okay, let’s stop with the kicks. I know what’s wrong with you now.” Mayumi said as Bakugou smoothed out his tank top.

“You need to work on stretching those legs even more,” Mayumi said sitting down on the matted floor, patting the space beside her. “Sit –I’ll teach you some leg exercises.” Bakugou sat beside her, and copied her position. She had her legs spread, nearly to a perfect split, and placed one hand on the floor in front of her and one hand on the floor behind her.

“The fuck? I’m a guy, I can’t fucking split!” He said, eyes wide.

“Then as wide as you can, genius. If you wanna start kicking taller people in the face, then you’ve got to get used to this.” She said, and Bakugou shut up. He spread his legs wide and copied Mayumi’s position.

“Now, using your arms, lift yourself up, and bring yourself down, until you feel the stretch on the muscles between your thighs.” Mayumi knew that it sounded wrong. When she first learned how to do this exercise, Mayumi couldn’t take her instructor seriously as he described it. However, the moment Mayumi had about two rounds of this exercise, Mayumi knew better than to laugh about it. Mayumi had to laugh as she saw Bakugou’s ears turn red –either from the strain on his legs or what she said, she didn’t really care. She felt triumphant, now that she didn’t feel the same strain as before, anymore.

“Face to the left and do ten of those before facing to the right,” She said, sitting cross-legged and watching him do the exercise. The first time he did it, he hissed and knelt down, rubbing his thighs. The first time is always the hardest time. “What? Give up already? Take it easy. You can’t always get it in the first try.” Mayumi asked, and Bakugou sent her a glare.

“Watch me.” He said, before resuming the exercise, biting his lip from the sting before switching to the other side.

He may be an impatient asshole, but Mayumi knew that this determination he had –wherever he was getting it, just might be his salvation.

* * *

 

It was getting dark again when they finished, and Mayumi was beat.

She still had an English report, a Math homework, and an Art project to do (not to mention a costume to submit), but she knew that she couldn’t do any of those by tonight. She just wanted to pass through a hot shower and plop back to the bed. When Bakugou and Mayumi were done with their cool down, Mayumi took her towel and her bottle before going to Bakugou.

“Do twenty of those every day, and you’ll get the hang of it, soon. Also, take it easy on the stretching –I know you’re a guy. Don’t do any damage to yourself, even before you can start doing what you want.” Mayumi told him, hanging her towel on her shoulder.

“If it means breaking my body bit by bit to reach the top spot, why the fuck should I stop?” Bakugo asked, and Mayumi was taken aback. Hearing him say something like that scared the shit out of Mayumi. It wasn’t bad to be determined, but to the point wherein you’re willing to harm yourself? It was outrageous. She’s seen professional fighters whose career ended early from not considering the damage that their training does to their bodies. It should be important for a fighter to be in the top spots, but health should always be the top priority of every fighter.

What good are you if you’re not strong enough to defend the position that you claimed?

“Don’t sweat it too much. It takes a lot of practice,” Mayumi said, holding out a fist to Bakugou. “We had a good session today.”

 _You’re doing great. You’re getting there._ Mayumi wanted to add, but didn’t seem to find the voice to say it.

But he just looked back and forth from her hand to her face. She suddenly felt stupid and dropped the fist and huffed.

“Whatever, man. Go home, get some rest.” She said, before getting out of the ring and going up to her place. It’s not like he was trying to actually be a tiny bit friends with her, anyways. So why the hell should he? However, as Mayumi climbed up to her floor, she went back to what Bakugo had said. She knew the repercussions of destroying one’s body –heck, she experienced it first hand. She was just extremely lucky to find a rich guy with connections that could fix her up. She remembered the pain of trying to move, her stitches tearing to the point that she screamed bloody murder for her parents –even if she knew that no one was going to respond.

She knew that she couldn’t just let him go through everything she had to go through.

* * *

 

“Sorry I’m late, Sensei.”

“This is your fourth late in two weeks, Nitta. Make sure that it does not happen again.” Mayumi heard from her bowed position. Now this late wasn’t her fault at all. Her dog, being the bitch that she is (literally), got loose. She spent her morning going down at the apartment floors for her dog, until she saw her outside on the side walk, butt attached to another dog’s butt –a male one.

 _Shit_.

Mayumi didn’t have time to prepare breakfast for herself. She had to wait for her dog to be able to detach from the male dog, while profusely and repetitively apologized to the owner, who was a female jogger. She ended up explaining to the owner that she her dog got loose, and the owner explained that it was the same for her, too. She was jogging around, and her dog, which was a Labrador, managed to out-run her. The owner was nice, and said that she was willing to help out, if anything happens. However, Mayumi was running late for school and was left with only a contact in her phone named “nice jogger lady”.

Which brings her to her current predicament.

“Yes, sir!” Mayumi said, before standing up and bending to walk to her seat, only to be stopped by strips around her forehead, and around her waist.

“ _Wait,_ ” Aizawa seemed to say through gritted teeth. She yelped as she felt herself being pulled back until she was standing in the front again, this time facing her classmates. “Incomplete uniform, Nitta.” He said, and Mayumi raised her brow.

“What?”

“Your necktie, Nitta.” Aizawa said, and Mayumi looked down at her uniform, only to realize that her necktie was indeed missing. Mayumi smiled sheepishly, scratching the back of her head. In her hurry, she completely forgot that she left her necktie on her nightstand.

“’Er-... I-... don’t have it.” She said, and Aizawa shook his head, and Mayumi couldn’t tell if he was disappointed or if he just doesn’t care.

“Back to your seat. Class monitor, mark Nitta for late and improper uniform.” He said, and Mayumi sighed and walked back to her desk. Mayumi plopped down on her office chair, hanging her backpack on the side of her desk. This was one of those moments wherein she’d rather have a burly man give her a punch on her gut, rather than face public scrutiny.

There was something wrong with education systems and discipline, and that is why Mayumi didn’t think of continuing her education in the first place.

“Don’t worry, Yumi-san. You’re not the only one without a necktie,” Uraraka said, leaning back to her desk to talk to her. “Bakugo-kun never wears his.” She said, and Mayumi looked at the explosive blonde. She couldn’t see it from the back row, but she believed in Uraraka’s words. She didn’t seem the type to lie, anyways. It was just that she never really gave a damn about Bakugo outside their training, and just noticing that small detail was weird. Maybe it was what Bakugo had said during their training last Saturday. She had never seen someone so determined, and Mayumi felt genuinely worried, even for someone she barely knew. She could try to talk to him later, focus on improving himself without, you know, actually having to break anything in his body.

It never occurred to Mayumi how he was coping with all the shit she spews out during their training. It was just that that was how she was trained, and Mayumi never really cared much. During her trainee days, before she went to Japan, Mayumi really just wanted to learn martial artes, and nothing more. She didn’t have any goal in mind or anything –she just thought that it’d look cool and that it would be nice to know how to defend herself. She never considered that it would become her whole life. By the end of homeroom, Mayumi had her mind set.

She had to do something about Bakugo.

* * *

 

“Yumi-san!”

Mayumi looked around to find the owner of the voice, however, she saw that everyone was busy. She felt a tap on her left shoulder, and she saw a floating uniform.

Oh right. She had an invisible classmate.

“Oh, hi,” She said, as not to be rude. However, she still couldn’t remember all of the names of her classmates, and she definitely couldn’t remember the name of this one. “I’m sorry, I’m bad at names. Who are you again?” She asked, and the arms of the uniform seemed to wave around.

“I’m Hagakure Tooru!” She said, and she saw one of the tights on her legs bend backward, as if lifting it. Mayumi could tell from the voice that she was another one of those overly-jolly people in the class, and this one –Hagakure, seemed to move around a lot. Mayumi didn’t know if it really is in her nature, or if she just does that so that people can **see** her. “I’m sorry to bother you, Yumi-san, but I want to know if I can ask a favour.”

The first thing Mayumi thought was that she’s been found as the Iron Lady. She knew that this day of reckoning would come. She knew that at least **someone** in the school would recognize her, and that he or she would ask for either a picture or an autograph and start spreading it.

“Depends on the favour.” Mayumi simply said. Mayumi gulped, her heart beating fast. She was already running through the possible questions that Hagakure would ask her.

_Are you the Iron Lady?_

_Do you fight in the UFR?_

_Have I seen you before in an MMA fight?_

“Can you somehow manage to teach me how to fight?” She asked, and Mayumi gave her a confused look.

Totally not the question that she was expecting.

“What?”

“It’s just that –er, you were so great at taking down Midoriya during Combat Training, and I am no good at hand-to-hand combat.” She said, the movements of her uniform saying as if she was twirling shyly from side to side.

“Oh.”

“But I understand if you’re busy at the moment,” Hagakure said. “I just wanted to know if you can teach me a bit –just for the practical test next week.” If Mayumi could see Hagakure’s face at the moment, she knew that the invisible girl would be blushing.

“No, it’s just that you’re more of a stealth type. Even without hand-to-hand combat training, you’d do good in a hand-to-hand combat.” Mayumi said, and Hagakure waved her hands.

“I know, but I need help with the practical test! Ojiro wouldn’t want to train with me, cuz he’s afraid of hurting me, and I’m afraid to ask the others!” She said, and Mayumi knew that the girl was desperate.

_And you didn’t feel shy with me –a new student?_

“Fine. Is there a place where we could train this Friday?” She asked, and Hagakure waved her hands in excitement. Besides, it was the class of the number one hero in the hero industry. Who’d want to screw up in front of him?

“The school has training dojos that we can use during lunch and dismissal!” Hagakure said, and Mayumi nodded.

“Good enough. I’ll meet you there.” She said, and she felt herself being toppled backwards, feeling something wrap around her neck. Oh –those were Hagakure’s arms.

“Eeeek! Thank you so much, Yumi-san!” Hagakure exclaimed.

“Sure. Just bring gym clothes.” She said, and she felt herself being released from the hug of the invisible girl. Hagakure then walked back to her own seat, and Mayumi let her head rest on her desk. Mayumi shut her eyes, trying to mentally sort out her schedule. She had a group reporting on Monday with Iida, training with Bakugou on Saturday, and Art homework due on Friday, and a Math project that she hasn’t even started, yet.

Crap.

Mayumi was about to fall asleep with all the thinking when she felt someone tap her left shoulder. She looked up, surprised to see the explosive blonde at the back of the classroom, holding out a red necktie towards her.

“The hell?” She muttered to herself, and Bakugo, with his signature frown, just handed her the necktie, looking at anything, but her.

“You need one, dontcha?” He asked, and Mayumi looked at the necktie carefully. It was a necktie for men –Mayumi could tell, since it lacked the circular pin that was issued for the female uniform.

“That’s for guys.” She simply said, pointing at the tie, and this seemed to push a button in Bakugo’s temper.

“Well, shit, then! I’m not the one in fucking need of help, now, am I?! Ungrateful bitch.” He exclaimed. slamming the necktie down on her desk and setting off an explosion that startled the whole class, before marching off to his own. Bewildered was an understatement. She was befuddled, not only by Bakugou’s tantrum, but by the display of Bakugo’s attention to her. It wouldn’t have happened if it were a regular day. Mayumi was left looking between the singed necktie on her equally singed desk and the explosive blonde at the front row when their next teacher came in. Present Mic walks in, papers and textbook in hand, and he lifted his nose to sniff.

“You guys burnin’ somethin’?”

* * *

 

“Yumi-san, are you even listening?”

Mayumi shut her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose –if one could even call it a bridge. Her nose wasn’t sharp enough for it to form one. They were in the cafeteria, and she had been trying her best to listen to Iida’s discussion on their report, but Mayumi couldn’t absorb anything he says, and she can see that it was starting to tick him off.

“I’m sorry, Iida-kun. Go on.” She said, and Iida just sighed.

“Like what I said, Yumi-san, you report on the traits and history of our topic. I believe that traits, and the history are deeply correlated, and that knowing the history is crucial in understanding the traits.”

To be honest, Mayumi was not doing fine. She failed in a math quiz just awhile ago -she forgot that she even had homework in English class, and now, she was trying to process everything Iida was saying. Not to mention, she would be missing a second period of Math, due to her part-time work with All Might with Class 1-B, but after that, she gets to go straight to her Combat Training class according to her schedule.

Mayumi’s shit storm of a school life was just starting now.

As she went back to her classroom, she spotted a suitcase on top of her desk with a sticky note attached to it.

‘Suit up.‘ It says, and there was a signature at the lower left corner. It was from All Might, and a light bulb clicked in Mayumi’s brain. It was her costume. Mayumi forgot how fast things can get done in Japan. She opened it, and she smiled as she looked and felt the folded costume. The material was just how she imagined it, and Mayumi could not think of a better material for it. The top was made of Kevlar, and even the armbands seemed to be designed to cater to the needs of her arms. Mayumi was impressed. If this wasn’t her hero costume, she would have considered this as the Iron Lady’s new costume.

“Yumi-san! Is that your costume?!” And with that, most of the girls swarmed around the underground fighter, all trying to take a peek at the contents of the briefcase.

“Wow! I love the material!”

“Yumi-san, did you design this yourself?”

“Simple, but if it suits your quirk, then why not?”

“It’s not revealing enough! Nothing can top Yaoyorozu-san’s costume!” At that point, the girls stopped chattering to turn around to see a short boy with weird purple grape-like hair standing there, an eerie smile on his face. Mayumi’s eye twitched at his drooling face, and Mayumi clenched her shirt in her fist.

“It’s for convenience, asshole!” She exclaimed. Everything happened so fast that the girls weren’t able to stop her from marching to that boy and giving him a resounding smack across the face. It wasn’t until after she did that, that tape shot out from the side, wrapping the short man and pulling him away from the girls. Mayumi looked to her side to see a boy with black hair and, of course, a cheery-as-hell smile that seemed to be ever present in this class. She ate lunch with him –she thinks his name is Sero. But that same cheery-as-hell smile irked her. What is there to smile about? Her pervert of a classmate? Her new uniform?

Studying to become a hero?

_Yeah, right. As if becoming a hero is the greatest fucking thing in the world._

Mayumi might be getting along with her classmates, but if she had the chance to get out of U.A. in a blink of an eye, she would do it and she wouldn’t be losing anything. There was nothing to rejoice about in becoming a hero. What was so noble about signing up one’s life to fate and letting it decide for you? Giving up one’s life for the sake of another? Nothing would change –one would still suffer, and at worse cases, both will.

Being a hero was stupid, and if Mayumi had her way, she’d prefer hell over studying to become something like that.

With a sour mood, Mayumi slammed her case shut and left it on her table. There was no way that she was going to even try to play hero in this school. She had no problem with studying the regular subjects –that, Mayumi could deal with. But studying to become a hero, it was a waste of effort.

Why even bother trying something that she knows she can’t be?

* * *

 

“Young Nitta, did you miss your costume’s suitcase? I was sure that I placed it in your desk.”

She met with All Might back in the gym where they conducted their classes, and he scratched his head as he saw her wearing her sports shorts and her PE shirt again.

“I-... I don’t feel comfortable wearing the costume.” Was all she said, because why the hell should she tell this man the real reason why she didn’t want to wear it? She didn’t want to offend the number one hero, but she also didn’t idolize him that much. However, this was the closest thing Mayumi had to the fights that she had –until now, the Manager still hasn’t set her up to fight with, and she was getting impatient.

_I’ll pester him to giving me a fight. I want one, goddammit._

Besides, she had a spot to defend, and Mayumi wouldn’t let just anyone overtake her spot as top 3 in the UFR. She had to fight tooth and nail with blood, sweat, and tears to be where she was. As much as she wanted to rise to the number one position in the UFR, it was difficult. Given that she was still seventeen and that she had only started fighting in underground leagues two years ago, she still had room for growth, both physically and in skill. Besides that, her opponents to the number one spot are on another level.

The fighter at the number two spot was a man named Knuckleduster. He was a burly and rugged looking man in his forties. He always wore black in his fights, and a pair of cargo pants, with a mask that covered the top half of his head. Rumor has it that he was a also a vigilante a few years back, and that he kicked ass in his prime. When his duty was done, he moved to the UFR, because he missed the thrill of a fight, and he needed cash for his family. Although he was scary in general and an opponent, Mayumi didn’t think ill of him –instead, she low-key idolizes him. She had watched one or two of his fights, and Mayumi could say that despite his rugged exterior and past, he was a good man. He never trash talked, and he accepted defeat with respect, and always congratulated and praised his opponent. Mayumi liked that in him, and she hoped that she could fight him at least once before he retires.

The top one, however, was a different story.

He was the epitome of greed, and rumor has it that he bribes the opposing team with buckets of money for the opposing fighter to lose, and if they refuse, they’d go missing a week before the match.

With all of these, Mayumi was even more determined to find a fight. She wanted to kick that man off the number one spot, because he was not worthy to be called a fighter.

* * *

 

Classes with Class 1B went by smoothly. Most of them were shocked to see a student helping out All Might in a class, but they welcomed her corrections when it comes to their stances and their forms. (All but one blonde student, who kept on saying that Class 1A was being the “star” of the school again. He was met with a slap on the back of the head, and an ass-whooping from his sparring partner.) Mayumi was on her way back to her classroom, going against the current of students who have been dismissed for the day. She guessed that her class was dismissed, too, since she saw some of her classmates on their way to the lockers. When she was about to enter her classroom, she stopped dead on her tracks when she almost bumped into her advisor.

“Nitta,” He said, and Mayumi’s breath hitched. She knew that tone. It was the ‘one-more-screw-up-and you’ll-be-doing-push-ups-for-the-rest-of-your-life’ tone. “A word.”

But it always never is just a word. It ends up being a whole fucking sermon.

Aizawa lead her inside the classroom, and he sat on one of the desks at the back. He pointed at the seat next to him, and Mayumi followed him. She put her hands on her lap, and sighed. She knew what was going to happen. She heard this sermon a thousand times already in Aldera Junior High.

_What do you plan to do with your life?_

_You’re going nowhere with all this fighting. Just stop it._

_You’re nothing but a delinquent, and there’s nothing you can do to change that._

_You’re being a pain in the ass for the teachers._

_If your guardian wasn’t a donor for this school, you’d be expelled without hesitation._

It hurt to hear all of those words, but the more she heard it, the more it sounded like a broken record until she just got used to hearing all of those –doesn’t make it hurt any less, though.

“I am not usually an active hands-on adviser, but it is required of me. I’d just like to remind you, Nitta, that you’re a working student,” _Here it goes. The finishing blow._ “You’re having a hard time balancing schoolwork as it is, and I am sure that missing out core subjects doesn’t make things easier,” _Wait, what?_ “. You’ve been either failing or getting passing grades in your classes. Don’t make things harder for you by adding your problems; Your necktie –a simple mistake that can easily be fixed; Your tardiness, do something about it. Leave your house earlier; and lastly, vandalizing your desk,” He said, pointing at her singed desk. “Have that cleaned by tomorrow.”

Mayumi was expecting worse. She was expecting insults, a stern and exasperated voice –but not this.

“Is that all, sensei?” She asked, and Aizawa raised a brow at her.

“Have you done anything else?” He asked, and Mayumi shook his head.

“Then there is nothing else to discuss.” He said, and he stood up before leaving her alone in their classroom. Mayumi stared after her advisor, and she didn’t know how to react. He wasn’t too stern in his sermon –if Mayumi could even call it that, but he wasn’t lax, either. But what he said was alarming –she already knew that she was failing the tests given to her, and it didn’t help that she had a lot of work load and missed classes due to her work.

Mayumi simply let out a defeated sigh and rested her head on the table.

Looks like it would be a rather long time before she could even consider fighting again. 

* * *

 

Saturday came, and even during training, Mayumi was troubled. She didn’t have any plan up her sleeve. It’s true that she has no real motivation in becoming a hero, but that doesn’t mean that she doesn’t have a real motivation for doing good in school. She wanted to prove to the Manager that she was worth saving, and that she is worth more.

She was doing split exercises with Bakugou, and he realized that she wasn’t responding –just staring off to space. Bakugo, who was almost in the perfect split position, decided to cross his legs as he sat on the floor, as he flicked his empty water bottle at her.

“Hey, shit-face, are you gonna train me or what?” He asked, and Mayumi shook her head, and put on a small smile.

“I’m good. Let’s go.” She said, both of them standing up to move to the punching bag.

“I’m cutting training early today.” Bakugo suddenly said, and Mayumi looked at him.

_I thought he was all ‘do-everything-I-can-to-be-number-one’ last Saturday? He was willing to break his body one moment, and now he’s cutting training?_

“Sure. Can I ask why, though?” Mayumi asked, and Bakugou glared at her.

“The fuck do you care about my personal life? I have things to do, okay?!” He asked, and Mayumi raised her hands up.

“Throw it at the punching bag, not me! Okay, show me what ya got.”

* * *

Training ended short, and Mayumi wasn’t used to it. She was used to them ending at around six in the evening, but today, they ended at three in the afternoon. After their cool-down, Mayumi took her towel and water bottle, on her way to the staircase to her apartment.

“Oi, shit face,” She heard her student call from behind her. Mayumi stopped and turned to look at the blonde hotshot, his hands in the pockets of his baggy sweatpants. Mayumi raised her brow, as if asking him ‘what?’. “Get your books. We’re going out.”

_What the actual fuck?_

“Uhm... What?” Mayumi asked, confused. _What books? What is happening? Did he just say that they were going out? I thought he had something to do._

“You shake your brain or something? Get changed, get your goddamn textbooks, and let’s fucking go. We’re gonna study, if it ain’t fucking obvious for you.”

At first, Mayumi didn’t completely get it. However, it was as if all the synapses in her brain connected and lit up like a Christmas tree when she remembered their deal –she trains him while he helps her study. She thought that he forgot about that, and that he was the type of person who’d totally make use of the other person.

Turns out, she was wrong, and this was the first ever mistake that Mayumi made that made her smile, even just a bit.

“Gimme one second.”

Mayumi came down after ten minutes in a worn out pair of cargo pants and a grey v-neck shirt that hugged her torso comfortably. As Bakugo instructed, she had her school bag with her, and in it, her books, notebooks, and everything they might need. When Mayumi came down, Bakugou had already changed his black tank top to a black t-shirt with a skull on it.

This was the only time that Mayumi was ever going to think of it, but she actually found his t-shirt cool.

“You’re so fucking slow.” Bakugo commented as they both walked out of the gym.

“Sorry if I have to climb up and down five flights of stairs just to get the things you asked me to get,” Mayumi said, pulling the strap of her backpack closer as they walked down the street. She’s being honest when she says that she feels a bit more excited than she should as she walks down the street with Bakugo Katsuki. Maybe it’s because she’s never had a real friend; or maybe she never had someone voluntarily take her on a study date before, even before she arrived in Japan? “Where are we going, by the way.”

“Anywhere cheap and quiet.” Bakugo simply said, walking ahead of her.

“Oh, I know a coffee shop nearby. Nobody really goes there, since they only have a few things in their menu, but they make good coffee.” Mayumi said, taking the lead and directing him to the coffee shop.

“Whatever, but if it’s one of those coffee shops that smells like strawberries or other sweet shit, we’re getting out.”

“Kacchan, it’s a coffee shop... What else should it smell like?”

“Don’t fucking call me by that name!”

“What, only Midoriya-kun can call you that? It’s your pet name or something?”

“Shut the fuck up, shit face! Deku is just a fucking ant –I can fucking crush him.”

“Crush him or crush on him?”

“I’m regretting this fucking decision. I ain’t helping you anymore.”

“Then if that’s the case, then don’t even bother showing up next Saturday or any Saturday after that.”

“...”

“Glad we can meet halfway, Kacchan.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lemme just say that this is the hardest chapter that I had to write in my whole life of writing because HOW THE FUCK DO YOU DESCRIBE THE MOVEMENTS OF AN INVISIBLE GIRL??? But I only want the best for you my dear readers, so here it is!  
> Sorry for the delay in updating! T-T I was in a retreat the whole weekend, and I have no time for rest. My whole week was just a Plus Ultra kind of thing wherein everything had to be done with sheer dumb luck and determination and shit.


	7. Mayumi vs The Bulldog: The Weigh In

__"You have an hour to finish the test. You may begin."

_Simplify or factor the following equations. Four x squared plus five x minus 4 plus three x squared minus the product of 5 minus x squared –what the fuck is this shit?!_

Mayumi bit the eraser cap of her mechanical pencil as she tried to focus on processing the equation in her mind. It has been three days since Bakugou first decided to help her study, but it felt like all the knowledge that she absorbed during their study session was knocked out off the roots of the neurons and synapses in her brain.

_Come one. Think, Mayumi... Think... You need to ace this –just passing it would make a whole lotta difference. You'd pass this subject, that Manager would see that you can actually take it in U.A., and he'll start giving you fights –YES! That's it!_   _I kind of remember it now! Fuck yes!_

Mayumi's breath hitched as she focused on her scratch paper. She was scribbling down numbers that seemed like nonsense, but meant so much to Mayumi in her current situation. Everything that came to her was thanks to that study session, and it would be the first time in her life that she would actually be thanking Bakugo Katsuki.

* * *

"The hell, what is this? Fucking jet fuel?!" Bakugou coughed after taking a sip from the mug of coffee that Mayumi brought to their table. True to her word, Mayumi did bring them to a rather secluded coffee shop, and true enough, they did have rather limited choices. However, one could say from the aroma of the shop itself, that whatever they would serve would be of good quality.

"That's mine, idiot." She said, setting down the other mug in front of him and taking the one in his hands.

"It's black."

"So?"

"Fucking black –it's not even brown."

"What? I like my coffee strong." Mayumi said, taking a sip from her coffee without even batting an eye. "And I didn't take you to be the coffee with cream type of guy."

"There's something wrong with you."

"Yeah, I either get too sleepy or become awake too much, especially during the night. Black coffee sometimes helps me sleep, and sometimes it helps me stay awake." Mayumi said, setting down her mug to take out her notebooks.

"You're fucking weird." Bakugou said, taking out his own notebook from his gym bag, and his own textbook. "Get your book. Open page 49, the one on exponents. We'll start there."

* * *

Mayumi felt like she could doze off any moment now.

It was one of those days that even a cup of black coffee won't cooperate with her body, and it did the complete opposite to her. She could feel her eyes start to drop as she could faintly hear Bakugo drone on about variables and exponents. She really tried to stay awake, as not to waste Bakugo's efforts. She tried doodling on her notebook, since that kept her awake most of the time in her classes. She tried doodling the man with a bowler hat across them, the barista, a lady that sat outside the adjacent cafe, her dog, Baby, and she even drew a decent doodle of Bakugo.

But no matter how many decent doodles she made, she couldn't avoid the fact that the coffee she drank was working its way through her system.

"Hey, shit face, don't fuck around!" She jolted up to a smack on her temple, and Mayumi felt her heart race at the sudden impact of a rolled up notebook to her head. The notebook and pencil that was on her lap fell on the floor with a clatter.

"Shit, whuh?" Mayumi looked around, only to meet the irritated look on Bakugou's face. "Heh, sorry." Mayumi said, scratching the back of her head and sending an apologetic smile –a smile that she really meant. All she did in school was all for politeness, albeit a bit forced. However, with Bakugou, it felt rather natural for her. It may be her training with him, but in the few days that she trained him, she felt as if she knew more about him that he lets on. She bent down to collect her things, with Bakugou letting out an annoyed huff.

"We're not on a goddamned date -so we've got no time to waste." Bakugo scolded, and Mayumi smirked as she sat down on her chair with her things.

"I knew you've always liked me, Kacchan." She teased, and laughed as she saw the look of pure and utter disgust on Bakugo's face.

"The fuck would I like about you? You're too damn weird." He said, taking a sip of his coffee.

"Shut up. You like me. You're just in denial." Mayumi insisted, and Bakugo just scoffed at the idea.

"The day I'll find something to like about you is the day that I'll actually try to say something good about Deku –and that would be never." Bakugo said, not even bothering to look up and just looked down on his book, trying to find the chapter that they were in. "Come on, let's start. We're wasting time."

After that, the day passed by uneventfully. She received a few more smacks to the head whenever she made an obvious mistake.

"Dammit, shit-face! Can't you do basic math? Square of 4 is 8? Are you kidding me?" He scolded, and Mayumi looked closely at the equation on her paper, blinking a few times, before her eyes lit up.

"Oh, right..." She said, and Bakugou leaned back, finishing whatever was left in his coffee mug. "The numbers confused me."

"You're thinking too much. You freak out the moment a long-ass equation shows up. When you see something like that, remember to take it one step at a time –that fucking PEMDAS thing." He said, pointing at the written equation on her paper, only to frown as he caught a glimpse of her doodle of him.

"Er-... What's PEMDAS again?" She asked –another smack to the head.

"Dammit, shit-face! Did you even attend school at all?! Was your head that high up your ass in middle school?!" He exclaimed, writing a whole new equation on his own paper that looked equally complicated.

"Do the equations in parentheses first, then the exponents" he said, circling the individual parts. "Then the multiplication, division, addition, then subtraction."

"Parentheses... Exponents... P, E, M, -OH! I get it now!"

_Smack_!

"Took you fucking long enough."

"No need to smack me in the head, genius," Mayumi said, rubbing the temple that Bakugou hit. "At least it goes to show that my brain's working."

"Tch... What brain?"

"Bakugou, you wound me," Mayumi said, feigning a mock expression on her face. But for the first time, Mayumi thought that he was actually teasing her a bit. But she smirked as she remembered exactly why he's helping her out in her studies. "You better get ready for a shit-load of drills next Saturday." Mayumi said, and she saw Bakugou smirk at that.

"Bring it on, shit-face –I can take on anything."

* * *

Mayumi stretched in her chair as she heard the bell for lunch.

She was able to answer –at least a bit confidently, the whole test, but it felt like all the juices in her brain has been drained. She wanted nothing to do but rest her head down and sleep. Mayumi did exactly that, letting out a yawn and a content sigh.

"Yumi-san," Mayumi bolted right up, and looked up to see Uraraka looking at her. "Are you feeling alright?"

Geez, can't I just feel drained every once in a while? I don't need to be all rainbows and sunshine in this school.

"Yep. Never better." Mayumi said, giving Uraraka a thumbs up.

"Dang, that math test really was a real brain drainer!" Uraraka said, scratching the back of her head, and Mayumi couldn't agree more. "Wanna eat lunch with us?"

_If you keep giving me that face, how the hell could I say no?_

* * *

"Midoriya-kun."

"Yes, Yumi-san?"

"What the hell is wrong with your tie?"

It was something that Mayumi noticed once in a while, and it was something that truly irked Mayumi. Before she even came to Japan, she used to study in a school that had the same complex uniform set –slacks or pencil skirt for girls, a vest over a white button up shirt, with its sleeves folded above the elbow, and of course, a red necktie. She attended that school for at least three years, and staying at least one year in that school taught her how to tie a perfect necktie. She'd sometimes help out classmates who'd struggle with tying it, if she was feeling generous, and she'd often get irked at the one-knot type of necktie, and not the proper one. However, Mayumi was confident in saying that her schoolmates had never tied their necktie that short –ever.

"Ah-... Well, I really don't know how to tie a necktie."

At this, Mayumi was surprised. Most boys would know how to tie a necktie, since formal occasions would demand them to. However, it is also plausible that they were never actually the ones who'd tie their neckties, and that they'd had someone do it for them.

In Mayumi's case, it was her older cousin that taught her how to tie a necktie. She remembered sitting on the wooden floorboards of their broke down house, and with her following her cousin's instructions. She remembered that he gave her that goofy smile when she managed to tie a perfect necktie by herself –that goofy smile that she loved so much and made her want to smile every time she saw it.

Mayumi felt a painful tug at her chest, remembering her cousin and how much she actually missed him.

"I'll teach you." Mayumi said, holding her necktie by the knot and pulling it loose from her neck.

"Wha-"

"It's easy –plus I'm annoyed by your necktie," She said. When the loop of the tie came loose and all that was left was the knot, she carefully held both ends. "First thing you should remember while I'm teaching you this: when you pull both ends of the tie, the knot should come off without forming a square knot on the tie itself." Mayumi then pulled on both ends of the tie, the necktie returning to its normal form. No knot was formed on the strip of cloth, and Midoriya seemed amazed. When Mayumi's cousin taught her that, she had the same look on her face, too.

It seemed that whatever she did, and how hard she tried to forget, she would always remember her family in all the little things she does.

* * *

"Fucking –wait!"

Mayumi fell on the floor with a thud, smirking as she looked up to the floating mass of a rash-guard and gym leggings that knocked her off her ass. She expected that she'd have a hard time training Hagakure, but she already expected that she'd be able to at least hit her. The girl was invisible, for Christ's sake! Even if she was fully clothed, it was impossible for Mayumi to see where the hell she was looking, and where the hell she's going to hit her.

"I'm so sorry, Yumi-san! Are you okay?"

Mayumi wondered again why she agreed to this.

_Oh right. Different quirks, different opponents._

Not that she had any fights in line, but Mayumi wished that one would come her way. It felt so weird and out of her system to not fight a few weeks after the previous one. It's been 5 weeks since Doc Gator, and Mayumi knows that it's nearly time for another one. However, with her attending school, now, she doubts that the Manager has even thought of booking her a fight with anyone.

So, this was the next best option; Helping All Might with his class, training Bakugou, and now, helping Hagakure. She can't say that the thought of fighting an invisible girl didn't thrill her, but she didn't think that this much ass whooping was involved.

"I'm alright," Mayumi said, standing up. "I told you before, you don't have to worry about anything. With your quirk, you could probably even land a hit on All Might."

"You think so, Yumi-san?" Hagakure asked, and Mayumi nodded.

"Just keep practicing your jabs and sweeps, then you'd be good to go for the practical test." Mayumi said, and Hagakure seemed to jump, her fists clenched as she brought them down, as if triumphant.

"Thank you so much, Yumi-san! What food do you like? Japanese food? Or do you want something from your home-country?"

_If you'd even know where it is._

"You don't need to, Hagakure-san. I'm training, too, so I guess that's enough."

"But you went through all the effort, and you fell! I have to give you something!"

"Really, it's alright. You don't have to go through all of the trouble." Mayumi said, and she felt arms wrap around her.

"Yumi-san, you'd be a great hero someday!" Hagakure exclaimed, and Mayumi immediately frowned.

_I highly doubt that._

* * *

Mayumi stood outside her apartment, her math test back in her hands as she stared hard at the score on her paper.

_23 over 25._

Whatever good God there was on this good Earth seemed to have mercy on her and graced her with this wonderful mark on her test paper. She didn't know how many times she checked the name on her paper and made sure that it was her name on it, and that it wasn't the paper of one of her classmates.

She went in her apartment, with her dog greeting her, as usual, followed by the scolding of an old man.

"You're a damn slob, Mayumi."

He used her full name –she was screwed.

"Hey, I didn't ask for you to clean my apartment." Mayumi said, removing her school shoes and setting her bag down on the couch, before plopping down there herself.

"You better get that dog some vitamins," The Manager said, ignoring Mayumi's previous comment. "The bitch is pregnant."

"Yeah, I know that," She said, patting Baby's head the moment the Dobberman climbed up on the couch beside her. "This bitch is a mama dog, now."

The Manager went to the coffee table set with a tray of black tea, based from the aroma that filled the apartment, and what seemed to be freshly baked chocolate chip cookies on a plate.

"You know, this is why I love being your tenant  **and**  your fighter –I get special treatment," Mayumi said, before unfolding her math test and flashing it in front of the old man's face. "And I deserve even more of that after acing this goddamned math test!"

Mayumi couldn't see it at the meantime, since the view of his face was blocked by the paper, but the Manager managed a small smile on his face. This was the most normal thing that Mayumi has done ever since he took care of her.

"You got two mistakes."

"Aw, c'mon! It's not like you did any better when you were my age." Mayumi muttered, and the Manager huffed.

"And I became a businessman with a lot of money, so joke's on you," The Manager said, watching Mayumi dump in two teaspoons of sugar and a whole lot of milk in her tea. "Listen, kid, I got a fight for you."

Mayumi almost spilt the tea on her from excitement.

She immediately set down her mug before clasping her hands together, her legs jumping up and down from absolute joy.

"When?! Who?! Please tell me I get to skip school for this!"

"Heck no, you ain't skipping school for this," Mayumi frowned at that. "Think of it as a congrats for your math test. It's not as big as Doc Gator, but this one would do."

"I don't care. Whose ass do I have to kick?" Mayumi asked, and The Manager brought out his flip phone, squinting as he read the text on his phone.

"A whelp named Bulldog." The Manager sis, and Mayumi smiled.

"Don't know him, and don't care. Whoever he is, he's as good as lost." Mayumi boasted, and the Manager can't help but smirk into his tea.

"You have to start training. The fight's on Sunday next week." He sais, and Mayumi smiled.

"Can I bring someone to training?" She asked, and the Manager's eyes shot up. He was silent, for a while, as he looked at Mayumi.

"Who the fuck are you, and where are you keeping Yumi?"

Mayumi rolled her eyes at the exaggeration of the Manager.

"I'm training someone, and he keeps on complaining about when he could kick my ass. This could he like his motivation, or something." She said, taking a large bite of the tea biscuits that The Manager prepared, before sipping on her tea.

"You sure?"

"Hell yeah, I'm sure! I'm also thinking of inviting him to the fight next Sunday." Mayumi said, and the face on the Manager's face said it all.

"No." Was all he said.

"What? Why?!" Mayumi asked, and the Manager frowned.

"Kid, in case you've forgotten, what we're doing here is not legal, and it's especially not okay if a minor like you does it." The Manager said, and that was when Mayumi snapped back to reality.

Has she been so caught up in playing student that she forgot who and what she really was? She managed to take down an overgrown and mutated crocodile a week before she even started going to school again. Has she been so caught up in the school life -the hero course life, that she almost forgot what she really was?

She doesn't want to be a hero. Being a hero was stupid, and being friends with people who aspire to become one makes her even more stupid. She knew better than this.

"Yeah, you're right. I forgot. Sorry." Mayumi said, setting down her tea, not in the mood for consuming anything as of the moment. The Manager didn't fail to notice the sudden shift in Mayumi's mood, and set down his own mug of tea.

"Hey kid," He said, clasping his hands together to lean forward, his arms resting on his knees. "Storm brewing in your head? Let it out before it gets ya. Can't have a storm brewin' in your head before fight."

Mayumi looked at the old man, a bit annoyed that he could read her just like that.

"It's nothing. Forget it, I'm gonna start training."

* * *

_Being a hero is stupid._

_Being a hero is stupid._

_Being a hero is stupid._

_That makes your teachers stupid._

_That makes your classmates stupid._

_That means that damn Bakugou is stupid, too._

_If you wanna be friends with them, them that makes you fucking stupid, too._

_Being a hero is stupid, and don't you ever think that you're gonna be one of them._

That was Mayumi's mantra as she repetitively kicked and punched the punching bag that was hung on the center of the boxing ring in the gym. This was how she would usually release her pent up anger and the tension she felt somewhere deep inside her chest, rooting in her gut. Her jaw was tense, her brows furrowed in anger and concentration, and tears of anger, sorrow, and guilt were threatening to fall from her eyes,

That short talk with the Manager and the sudden realization she had had her feeling as if she would throw up any moment. Three years of building walls to fend herself from the hero world, and in a matter of a few weeks, she found herself being friends with heroes.

" _ **Mayumi, stay here, okay? I'll go get your mom!"**_

_Fuck, shut up!_

" _ **Dad! Please!"**_

_So fucking useless._

" _ **Mayumi stay there! Please! I'll be back with your mom!"**_

"JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

Mayumi didn't mean to, but with a round house kick and an angered yell, she managed to send the ten kilogram punching bag flying across the gym.

"Fuck!" She exclaimed, kicking the air and getting another bag that was lined up outside the ring. She placed the bag on the hook, and she started punching and kicking the bag once more.

"You call this training?" She heard from behind her. She let out a frustrated sigh as she continued her jabs and kicks, but with less vigor. "You ain't gonna be fighting a stiff, if that's what you're expectin'." The Manager said, walking up beside the ring and looking up at her.

"Stop," He said, his voice stern. Mayumi immediately ceased her assault on the punching bag, and dropped her arms to the side. However, she didn't look at the Manager as she bit her lip and sighed. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Mayumi simply said.

"Bullshit. It doesn't look like fuckin' nothing to me." The Manager said, going up to the platform of the boxing ring and sitting on the corner stool.

"It's nothing if I fucking say it is!" Mayumi hissed, and the Manager just blankly looked at her, a 'no nonsense' look on his face.

"No, it's not nothing, and it's most likely about your folks, isn't it?" The Manager asked, and Mayumi glared at him -a genuine one, and not the ones that she gives him when he doesn't share his liquor with her.

"I told you before, they're not up for fuckin' show and tell. I ain't talking about them with you. They're dead, they left me to live this fucking life, end of the fucking discussion!" Mayumi exclaimed, and the Manager looked at her, dead serious.

"Well, fuck, mom and dad left! Fan-fuckin'-tastic! I'm just gonna wallow in self pity and wait for the end of my fucking life!" The Manager said, and Mayumi was marching towards the Manager when he stood up, cane in hand.

"You don't know a fucking thing, old man!"

"Eh? So what, those three years I fed and sheltered you, I haven't learned a fucking thing? Your parents are fucking gone, and as long as you're a minor, and your immigration shit still isn't sorted out, you're stuck with me!"

"I know that, but fuck, why'd you have to send me to a hero school, huh?!"

"So this is what's bothering you?! If you hate it so much, then you can leave if you want to! I didn't force you into this shit! You were willing to join yourself!" He didn't look like it at first, but Mayumi saw the hurt in his eyes, and Mayumi immediately felt a pang of guilt hit her. She shouldn't have said that. Mayumi clenched her fists and let out a frustrated sigh.

"Alright, I shouldn't have said that. It's not fair on your part. I'm sorry." She muttered. The Manager just nodded as Mayumi looked down.

"Damn right you should be sorry," The Manager scolded. "But I shouldn't have mentioned your folks, either, so we're even," The Manager said, and Mayumi bit her lip at the thought of her parents. "I know it's been three years, but it's not enough."

Again, Mayumi wondered how the Manager was able to read her this good in three years' time.

* * *

The subject of Mayumi's parents was a sore one, and Mayumi felt like it would forever be one.

Mayumi's parents were one Mayumi's reasons for striving hard to do well in life. They weren't the richest family, to begin with, but they weren't so poor either. Sometimes, they'd fluctuate from having braised pork with egg for a regular family dinner, to a can of sardines and scrambled eggs, when times get rough. It was because of that, Mayumi swore to herself that she would get them out of this rollercoaster, and live with stability. Mayumi would even go as far in saying that her parents were her life source.

Now, her parents were nothing more than a wound that digs deep into Mayumi's soul, and never heals.

After Mayumi cleaned the mess she made at the gym, she went back up to her apartment, hit the showers, and put on whatever oversized clothes she had before flopping down on her bed. It was during these times when Mayumi wished that she had someone to hug, or at least someone to talk to. She knew that the Manager wasn't into any of those sentimental things, and she was sure as hell that she wasn't close enough with her classmates, yet, to do any of those things.

_What about Bakugou?_

Mayumi laughed at the idea. If she called him, or messaged him in the middle of the night just to ask for a walk or even just tell him how she felt, he'd immediately cuss her and call her a pussy.

It was then, Mayumi did something she hasn't done in a while, and something she knew seemed pathetic. She pulled out a small perfume bottle and sprayed it on her biggest pillow, before setting it down on the table. She placed the perfumed pillow on one side of her bed, and she buried her face in it, softly inhaling the flowery fragrance of the perfume.

It was the perfume that her mother always wore.

Mayumi was never one for girly stuff, but she did wear cologne. She just didn't always remember the name. So when she was browsing through the department store for a cologne that smelled good, she bumped into her mother's perfume by accident, and she froze for a good three minutes in the department store. She bought it, not caring about the price, and cried when she went home.

As Mayumi breathed in the scent of her pillow, she felt her tears falling being soaked by the pillow she was hugging.

She wished her mom was here.

* * *

"Nitta, you're late... again."

This time, Mayumi really meant to be late. She woke up with an excuse letter on her side table, signed by the Manager, and a sticky note attached to it.

_For last night. Just make sure you get to school before lunch, and make sure you come back early for training._

_-M_

The moment Mayumi saw that, she immediately flopped back to her bed and rubbed her swollen eyes. She didn't want to admit it, but she literally cried herself to sleep last night, and now she had to pay the price. Her eyes felt swollen and sore, and Mayumi couldn't open her eyes to the fullest. She woke up and she felt a little better, and she was about an hour late to school.

"Sensei, I had a personal matter to attend to." She said, handing out the excuse note made by the Manager. Aizawa took the note and read it, before nodding and letting her pass to get to her chair.

"As all of you already know, the first day of your internships will be on this Sunday. I expect that all of you have started to prepare for everything that you might need." Aizawa droned, and Mayumi's brows furrowed.

Internship?

Oh right. Mayumi just wasn't listening, but Aizawa had mentioned something about an internship program during the previous homeroom periods. It just so happened that her mind was somewhere else during those homeroom periods. After the fiasco last night, Mayumi's mind was all over the place.

It was on passing her classes, to bay back the Manager.

It was on training this week, for her upcoming fight.

It was on her mother and father, and if they were watching her now.

"Nitta, are you paying attention?" Mayumi snapped back to reality, realizing that the whole class was looking at her.

"I'm sorry, sensei. Can you repeat what you said?"

"I said, since you came in a little after the Sports Festival, and given that you have a lot of classes to catch up to, you cannot join the internship program."

_Why the hell would I need an internship? I'm an underground fighter –I don't need heroes to fucking know what I'm doing._

"Understood, sensei." Mayumi said, and she saw the brow of a certain blonde hotshot raise. Maybe it was because of how she looked like –the dead, tired eyes she wore, or the uninterested tone on her voice. Whatever he noticed, it was what brought Mayumi to her situation during break time.

When the bell rung, she was walking towards the staff room to change, since All Might needed her for his next class, and she felt someone pull her inside the staff room.

Of course –who else could it be?

"Bakugou-"

"The fuck is wrong with you? I'm already fucking helping you with school, so don't you fucking show me that face," Bakugou seethed. "What the fuck did you get in that Math test?"

Mayumi knew that thinking that he'd actually be concerned about her feelings was a bit far stretched. He was more troubled about him being an incompetent tutor… great.

"I got a 23, so don't get your panties in a twist about not teaching me well," Mayumi said, shoving his hands off of her. "Get out. I need to change."

"Then the fuck is wrong with you?" Bakugou suddenly asked. Mayumi started dragging him out of the staff room.

"None of your fucking business. If there's anyone who has something wrong, it's you for even thinking that you could be a fucking hero."

_Shit. That was a pretty low blow._

"Now go. I still have to change." Mayumi said, and Bakugou huffed.

"Whatever." He said, leaving Mayumi alone. She shut the door to the staff room and slid down to the floor, pulling at her hair. She knew that she'd be stupid for wanting to be friends with a hero wannabe. She knew that what she did was supposed to be right.

So why the hell did she feel guilty, all of a sudden?

* * *

Today was crap, there was no doubt about that.

Mayumi was mindlessly walking towards the train station, stopping in front of the marking on the platform. She just wanted to go home and sleep again, shutting off the world. Too much was going through her head, and she just wanted the earth to swallow her whole, and for her entire existence to just disappear. She was really good at breaking things

She broke her arms, using her quirk.

She broke whatever few relationships she had here in Japan.

She broke all ties she had with her family.

_A fucking worthless screw up._

"Oi, your in the way," Mayumi turned to see Bakugou glaring at her. "Here in Japan, passengers line up to the side, idiot."

_Oh._

Mayumi looked down to the marking, and saw that he was right. She was indeed standing at the center. No wonder people were looking at her. She lined up on the opposite side of Bakugou, holding both of her bag's shoulder straps.

"I don't know what's fucking wrong with you right now, but you better not wear that face on our training this Saturday."

And just like that, Mayumi felt as if someone turned on the lights. Mayumi looked at Bakugou, not knowing how to react. This was the softest thing she heard him say in the whole time she's known him.

For the first time in what felt like forever, Mayumi smiled.

"I forgot to mention, I started training again, so someone else is training us this Sunday. Think of it as a good luck present before your internship. Learn something to impress whoever it is you wanna impress." Mayumi said, and Bakugou huffed, letting out a cocky smirk.

"Bring it on! Whoever's training us can't be any worse than you!" Bakugou said, and Mayumi chuckled.

And so, everything felt right, once more.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For this chapter, I wanted to show a side of Mayumi that wasn't pure bad assery. I wanted to show a side of her that was behind that wall of delinquency -a sneak peak to her problems and her feelings (that's so sappy as fuck hahaha)
> 
> I'm sorry, but this chapter is overdue! Things have just been so crazy at school. Please don't be afraid to leave comments :)


	8. Mayumi vs The Bulldog: Main Event

"What's so special about this guy, anyways? Can't I just give him a bone, or somethin'?"

Mayumi dodged the incoming swing from her sparring partner, followed by blocking a jab to her face. Mayumi was training alone today, and honestly, Mayumi wished that she wasn't. It's been a week since the internship started. Mayumi's been getting used to training a blonde hotshot every Saturday, and she felt as if something was amiss the moment her training regiment started without an insult from him.

It made Mayumi feel weird.

This unease resulted to her missing the sweep that her sparring partner sent her, and she fell butt first on the floor. Mayumi came to her senses, and immediately rolled away when her partner lunged forward to tackle her. Luckily, Mayumi found an opening and latched onto her sparring partner's back. She locked her legs on both her partner's thighs, and proceeded to position her arms around his neck for an arm choke. Using her quirk, she flipped the both of them so that she was underneath him, and pulled on the arm hooked around his neck, getting him to submit to her. The moment she felt a tap on her forearm, she let go of her partner's neck and released her hold on him.

"Sloppy shit, Yumi –sloppy shit!" The Manager exclaimed from the side of the sparring ring. She sat cross legged and faced the Manager, who looked at her with a scowl on his face –or maybe that was just his regular face. "You're gonna be back in UFR again, and this is what you have to show? Shit?!"

"What's the deal, anyways? He's just some amateur punk who wants an easy climb to the top, so he decided to challenge a girl." Mayumi sighed, rolling her eyes. She really wasn't in the mood for training.

"And when did you get so goddamn cocky, huh? Where's this coming from?" The Manager asked, and Mayumi froze.

That Bakugou was really rubbing off her.

_Damn._

"Look, he's just an amateur! Big deal! I don't need to train so much." Mayumi said, before she a water bottle hit her on the temple.

"Don't be so sure about your spot, kid. It's the downfall of every pro fighter in the industry, even before you were born. So don't you dare go thinking that this guy has no chance of beating the shit out of you, just cuz you're number three." The Manager scolded, and Mayumi huffed.

He had a point there.

"I hate it when you're right." Mayumi muttered, before standing up to face her sparring partner.

"And I hate it when you're wrong. Now, let's start again."

* * *

Mayumi was fresh out of the shower when she heard the familiar _ping_ of her cellphone. Throwing on her underwear and bringing out her fighting clothes, she checked her phone

Kirishima added her to the class group chat.

 _Fuck_.

"Yumi sannn!" AciD TriIPp, who she could only guess was Ashido, said, followed by messages from Sero and Kaminari.

" Yumi-sann! You're here!"

"Kirishima, how'd you even find Yumi's account?"

"She was practically non-existent!" Ashido said, and Mayumi rolled her eyes.

"I have my ways... ;)" Kirishima sent. It really wasn't a mystery on how Kirishima found Mayumi's social media account. It's not like she didn't have one. She just didn't have any reason to use it. It's not like she had any friends she could actively talk to. She didn't have any contact left with anyone back in her country, and she still hasn't made any friends in Japan –not even in her years before U.A..

"Classmates, please use this group chat for academic purposes only. Do not flood the group chat." Mayumi smirked at that. Even online, she could still hear Iida's voice as she read his message. Mayumi looked at the time in her phone, and sighed.

_I need to get ready._

_Ping!_

"What the fuck?" Mayumi checked her phone and was not surprised to see Kirishima's name pop up

"Yamiii!"

Mayumi decided to ignore Kirishima. She had a pregnant bitch to feed, and a fight tonight, and she can't let anything mess it up.

_I thought they had an internship going on?_

However, even if Mayumi decided to ignore Kirishima's messages, her phone was flooded with _ping_ s and vibrations from the continuous messages of her red haired classmate.

"Yami"

"Yami, I know you can see this!"

"YAMI I'M NOT GONNA STOP AS LONG AS YOU IGNORE ME"

"Yami"

"Yami"

Mayumi didn't want to look like a bitch, so decided to entertain her classmate so that he could finally stop spamming and flooding her phone with messages.

"What?" Mayumi typed. She waited for a response, and she rolled her eyes as she saw his reply.

"Watcha doin? ^_^"

"Are you fucking serious?!" Mayumi exclaimed as she poured dog food into Baby's dog bowl.

"Nothing. Just training. I'm busy." Mayumi typed, and Kirishima replied instantly.

"If you're training, then you won't be able to talk to me."

_Fuck, this guy's not as dumb as he looks._

Mayumi placed the phone inside her pocket as she left Baby's dog bowl on the ground. She grabbed her keys, earphones, and her gym bag, before leaving her apartment. She got in the Manager's car and spent at least four blocks looking outside the car window before she heard another _ping_.

"Dammit, what now?"

"Yami-sann! What are your plans for tomorrow?"Kirishima asked.

"I'm busy tomorrow." Mayumi replied.

"Aww, come on! We're gonna eat out tomorrow, after classes. Wanna come with?"

"I'm busy. **"**

"Doing what? Hahahaha finals aren't near, yet. And besides, Bakugou will be there ;)"

"So? Is that supposed to make the lunch out worth it?"

"Yumi, I don't want you distracted. Keep your phone." She heard the Manager say from the passenger's seat as the car started to turn in a dark alley. However, another _ping_ made Mayumi check her phone once again.

"Baku-boi's your boi, isn't he? ;D" Mayumi feigned a disgusted look.

"NO! I don't know where you pull these kinds of things from... Maybe your ass?" Mayumi replied.

"Yumi, we're here!" The Manager said, getting out of the car. Mayumi followed suit, typing away on her phone.

"HAHAHAHA Come on, Yamii! Eat with us tomorrow!"

"Look, Bakugou's not my boyfriend, and I can't go tomorrow. I'll be busy. I also can't talk right now. I'm busy. **"** Mayumi replied, before keeping her phone.

Really, Mayumi just doesn't really want to go.

Mayumi checked her phone again as she heard multiple _ping_ s.

"OH THAT MAKES TOTAL SENSE NOW!"

" You have a boyfriend now, dontcha?"

" Are you on a date now, Yamii?"

"Are you gonna go to a date tomorrow?"

"Talk to me, Yamiii! T-T"

"Fucking hell," Mayumi muttered as she weaved through the crowd of the UFR.

"Yumi, your phone!" The Manager hissed as they made their way to the prep room. "Tell your boyfriend to shut up. You still have to get warmed up."

Mayumi sputtered at the Manager and rolled her eyes before silencing her phone and dropping it in her bag. She removed her jacket and proceeded to strip down to her sports bra and her nylon shorts.

"Yumi, focus on tonight's fight," The Manager told her. "Number two's in the crowd." He said, peeking from the door, and Mayumi shot up from her seat.

"What?!" She asked, scooting the Manager to the side to take a peek of her own.

"I said, Knuckle-fuckin'-duster's in the crowd." The Manager said, and Mayumi's jaw slacked when she saw a burly man standing cross armed in the middle of the crowd. As always, he wore a black shirt, combat pants and boots, and a black mask tied around the top part of his head. He seemed to be uninterested with the current fight, but Mayumi knew his character –he wouldn't stay if he wasn't looking for something.

"Holy shit, can I take a picture with him? Please tell me I could get his autograph." Mayumi said, her heart beating fast.

"Not if he likes your fight, you can't. Word has it that he's looking to challenge someone. Gettin' bored with number two." The Manager said, and Mayumi turned to look at the Manager.

"No way! Do you think I could get him this time around? I don't think I'm strong enough, yet." Mayumi worried, as she went to her bench to start her warm-up.

The rule in the UFR was simple. If a fighter challenges any fighter, weather it is a higher or lower ranked fighter, the winner would get to get the higher rank. So if a rank thirty fighter challenged a rank ten fighter, the rank thirty is either confident, or crazy –which is exactly what happened to Mayumi. Her quirk seemed weak, given that it only amplifies twice of whatever strength and body mass she's got. However, her quirk was enough for her to perform body slams, lift fighters, and perform excellent head locks for submission.

It wasn't a long time ago when Mayumi challenged Knuckle Duster, the rank two fighter in the UFR. A few months before her fight with Doc Gator, she personally talked to Knuckle Duster to ask if he was willing to accept her challenge for his title.

" _You're young, kid, and there's still more to learn,"_ Knuckle Duster told her, ruffling her hair _. "I've seen your fights, and I won't accept your challenge until I see for myself that you could take me on."_

After that, Mayumi became even more determined to do better. She trained more, fought more, and made sure that she'd be ready to take in Knuckle Duster's punches. Until now, Mayumi badly wanted to fight him, but at the same time, she was scared shitless by his mere presence. Whenever she sees him in the UFR, she's torn between being intimidated and idolizing the burly man. If they weren't fighters in the UFR, Mayumi wanted him to train her.

"Are you _**strong**_ enough?" The Manager asked, as if baffled by her question.

"Kid, you were born ready."

* * *

"Ladies and gentlemen, we welcome you tonight on the UFR for probably the most intense match up of the month!"

Mayumi stood outside her prep room, her robe wrapped around her to keep her body heat at bay. The crowd seemed to multiply, and it seemed to be buzzing with anticipation. Not only was today's fight going to be intense because of the match up, but the presence of Knuckle Duster seemed to liven the crowd.

"We have on our left, the challenger, here with balls of steel to knock off the rank three fighter in the UFR ! He's all bite and all bark, folks! The jaw-lockin' rookie is here to make you his bitch -Bulldog!"

A short, lean man emerged from the crowd, and Mayumi swore that she didn't see any crew nor coach behind him. She swore that all she saw was him and a tall, thin woman in a hot pink dress that was clutching The Cage from the outside as she looked up at Bulldog. She was probably his girlfriend, and Mayumi found herself disgusted at how she looked up at Bulldog.

_What a clingy bitch. They're gonna break up, eventually._

"Fighting, here right before your very eyes for tonight's blood spewing, sweat drippin fight, the rank three fighter of the UFR: the defender, The Iron Ladyyyyy!"

Mayumi walked in the Cage, the crowd cheering her on.

"Okay, you folks know the rules! There's bitin', there's elbowin', and there's killin', if the other doesn't surrender. If knock-out, by the count of ten, fight's over, folks! Let the fight, begin!"

Mayumi held out her fist, like what she always does, as a sign of old fashioned sportsmanship. In all of her fights in the UFR, never had she ever had someone touch gloves with her. Her opponents would either ignore the fist that she'd hold out, or she'd laugh at her. She recalled the one time she felt really felt dumb after doing that gesture. Her opponent was a foreigner who somehow found her way to the UFR. At first, she was glad that she was fighting another woman, but the moment Mayumi held out her hand, the foreigner just laughed at her.

" _Real cute, sweetie,"_ The woman said, rolling back her shoulders with a slick grin on her face. _"But shit like that gets you killed in this business. Shows you how dumb you are and how easy you can be."_

In the end, that woman was the easy one. Months after their fight, Mayumi never heard of her ever again.

Mayumi didn't hold out her fist to make friends with them –not directly. She wanted to show them that at the end of the fight, there should be no hard feelings. She wanted to show them that what she is inside the Cage does not define who she is outside. She wanted her opponents to know that.

But maybe it's also because she tried to convince herself that she wasn't a bad person.

She knew what she did was illegal. She knew that she doesn't live up to society's expectations to study hard to have a future. She knew that fighting like this would probably make her mother and whatever's left of her family cry from disappointment. Maybe it's because deep down inside, Mayumi felt rotten and that the fist she held out to her opponent was some sort of reassurance that it was okay to be rotten –that in the end, all of us are rotten in our own stupid ways. She held her fist out to her opponent as a symbol to both of them, and Mayumi wished that at least someone would take it seriously.

Mayumi had her hand held out to Bulldog, who just looked at it and cackled, throwing his head back and revealing silver incisors. Everything happened quickly, and Mayumi felt her brain go blank when Bulldog spat at her fist.

Her first instinct was to shake it off, and she was dumb enough to follow it.

In that slight moment of distraction, she gave way to Bulldog's right fist that went flying straight to the center of her face. Mayumi stumbled back and lost her footing in the process. As Bulldog tried to pin her to the ground, she was able to roll away just in time, the crowd going wild with a mix of cheers and 'boo's.

_He's fucking dead to me._

"Yeah, babe! Get that bitch!" She heard a pinched voice by the cage. Mayumi saw a flash of hot pink and she knew that it must that woman that Bulldog was exchanging saliva with.

Disgusting.

"I'm gonna punch all of your teeth in for what you did." Mayumi shouted over the noise of the crowd as both of them resumed their fighting stances, circling around each other.

"By the end of the day, you're gonna be my bitch!" Bulldog shouted with a sick leer on his face.

"Honey, you better remember what happens when dogs bite on iron!" She said before sending a roundhouse kick towards the side of his face. However, it wasn't enough to make Bulldog lose his balance. He had a good stance, for once, and he just stepped backwards to recover.

Mayumi advanced towards him, donning an offensive stance as she felt some sort of fire ignite in her chest. Liquid fire spread through her veins from the fury she felt over this arrogant son of a bitch. Mayumi swore on the name of her dead mother that this idiot is going down, and that he's going down bloodied and bruised.

The fight went on, and Bulldog was able to block a kick that was meant for her side, and was able to land a right hook on his jaw (with the right fist that he spit on awhile ago), and some of the liquid fire that she felt become sated. Before she knew it, the first round was over. They had minor injuries –Mayumi had a cut on the non-existent bridge on her nose, while Bulldog sported a cut on his right brow.

"Get me some fucking alcohol and a lighter! I need to burn the filth on my glove," Mayumi mumbled as she sat down on her chair, before feeling the Manager's calloused hands smack the back of her head. "What was that for?!"

"You got distracted." He simply said, before he whipped out a bottle of alcohol and doused it over her gloves. Her med team put on some petroleum jelly on her cheeks and poured some disinfectant on her wound. Mayumi hissed at the temporary sting, a snarl on her face.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I underestimated the little bastard and I paid the price of getting spit on my gloves." Mayumi mumbled before getting her water bottle and downing almost half of its contents while glaring at her contender from across the Cage. Across from her, Bulldog seemed as if he was having the time of his miserable life. He seemed all patched up, and had his girl on his lap, lips locked as she caressed his jaw.

"Look at him –the fucking bastards. Utterly disgusting," Mayumi said, nodding towards them, and the Manager let out an amused huff as she saw the uncomfortable sight from across the Cage. "I bet his girlfriend has saliva that gives off super strength or something –something that makes him so annoying."

"I'll be laughing at your face if you ever find someone who you could do that with." The Manager said.

"Ha! That'd be the day you'd die –which is never, cuz you don't seem like dying anytime soon, despite how you look." Mayumi muttered, and she received another whack towards her head.

"Watch your mouth! You're not getting a pity party when that damned dog kicks your ass!" The Manager exclaimed as Mayumi got in the Cage cackling her ass off.

"And it seems as if our Iron Lady seems confident as she lets out, what seems to be like a victory laugh!"

Mayumi stood at the center of the Cage, fighting stance ready, with Bulldog following suite with one last kiss from his girl.

_Fucking disgusting –as if I'd agree to something like that._

"Round two! FIGHT!"

Mayumi immediately went towards Bulldog, at the tip of her toes in anticipation of anything Bulldog would be sending her.

_I need to get him off of his feet._

She had two minutes for this fight, and she wanted this to be the last round. So with urgency, she sent a high kick aimed at his face. As expected, Bulldog dodged her foot and fell exactly right into Mayumi's plan.

_That girl of yours sucked out all of your instincts, didn't she?_

Mayumi quickly sent a round house kick, followed by another high kick. If that wasn't enough to make him fall, then Bulldog should win this fight. However, Bulldog stumbled, and that was all that Mayumi needed for her to be able to tackle him to the ground. She kept on sending punches to his face, aiming directly at his mouth.

"Told you I'd knock your teeth in, didn't I?!" Mayumi exclaimed, watching as his mouth started to bleed profusely. However, that didn't faze Bulldog enough, and he managed to roll both of them over, with him having the upper hand. He wrapped his right hand on Mayumi's neck, choking her, as he punched her face with his left one. With instinct and disgust, she flailed underneath Bulldog and sent her knee flying to his crotch. He immediately hunched over and let go of her, giving her the opening to push Bulldog off of her and to climb over his hunched over figure. Bulldog crawled to the wall, trying to get himself up, but Mayumi had locked her legs around his hips. As Bulldog shakily stood up, Mayumi held on to him, hooking one of her arms around his neck and the other one, pushing the back of his neck forward. She held strong as Bulldog tried to pry her arms away from her neck. When it didn't work, one of his hands tried to work its way towards the back of Mayumi's hair, and once he found the back of Mayumi's hair, he gripped it tight and attempted to flip her over him to get her off him. However, he didn't realize how Mayumi was holding onto him tightly, and when he tried to flip her over, he went along with her. They both ended up on the floor, with Mayumi using her quirk to amplify the neck lock that she has on Bulldog. Mayumi held fast, watching his face turn red, while she heard shouts from the girl in the hot pink dress.

"I will fuck you up, y'here me?! You hurt him, I **will** fuck you over!" She said, spitting on the cage. However, Mayumi didn't have the time to feel annoyed over the girl in the hot pink dress as she felt consecutive taps on the arm hooked around Bulldog's neck.

"AND THAT IS IT! THE IRON LADY HAS BEATEN THE DOG INTO SUBMISSION! IT'S ALL OVER FOLKS!"

Mayumi immediately released Bulldog's neck as he went on all fours, coughing and wheezing for air.

"Hey man, take deep breaths." Mayumi said, kneeling beside him as she tried to pat his back. However, he pried her hand away and glared at her.

"Don't act all high and mighty, you bitch. I lost. Stop rubbing it in my face." Bulldog said, before standing up, his hunched over figure heading towards the lady in the hot pink dress.

Once again, the host went to the ring, raising her hand as he declared her the winner.

However, being a winner is a far cry from whatever Mayumi was feeling.

* * *

"What's with the look on your face?"

The Manager and Mayumi were now walking out of an empty UFR, about to drive to that pizza place they always went to. They were going to celebrate for their victory with a bottle of Smirnoff and a slice of pizza, just like they always did. However, despite the victory, Mayumi had her head down and her shoulders slumped. Mayumi didn't speak for a while until they were out of the UFR, in the dark alley, on their way to the parking lot.

"Am I doing a bad thing?" Mayumi asked, and the Manager stopped in his tracks.

"Where is this coming from?" The Manager asked, and Mayumi sighed, still looking down.

"I used to love winning fights, cuz it used to be about the thrill of winning. Now, when I fight, it feels as if my opponents are fighting a villain, which is me. They look at me with hate, as if I'm not a person anymore." Mayumi muttered, and the Manager held her shoulder.

"Hey, look at me," The Manager said, and Mayumi looked up at the old man –the man that she owed a great debt to; the man who took her in when she didn't want to be sent away; the man who helped her rise from her pain (or at least some of it). "You're not a bad person. They're stupid for not seeing that." Was all the Manager said. Mayumi was expecting for a reason as to why, but this was the Manager –he doesn't explain what he feels. He just says so.

It was enough for Mayumi.

They were on their way back to their car, when a bulky figure appeared from the shadows.

"Hey kid." The man said, and Mayumi's eyes widened. She knew that voice anywhere.

"Knuckle Duster!" She exclaimed, taking a few steps forwards to see him flash her a toothy grin. He held out a fist towards her. Mayumi bumped it with her own, albeit a bit uncertain.

"You did great today. Hope to see you in the Cage next month." Mayumi's eyes could have popped off from her eyes at that. She was too shocked to even realize that Knuckle Duster had already left. When she did, she turned to look at the Manager, who had a smirk of his own on his face.

She got the fight.

* * *

Mayumi got back to her apartment around midnight, and Mayumi wanted nothing but to snooze. However, she knew that after all of the hits that she took, she knew that she shouldn't sleep, in case of a concussion. Instead, she just sat and leaned back on her worn-out couch beside her pregnant dog. It wasn't obvious a month ago, but Mayumi could now tell from the bulge in her dog's stomach that she was indeed pregnant. Baby rested her snout on Mayumi's lap as she softly stroked the stretched skin.

She then took out her phone to look at the many notifications that flooded her screen. Mayumi knew that she wasn't really missing out anything, but she needed something to keep her awake. Like what she thought, nothing important really happened in the group chat that Kirishima dragged her to. They were mostly fooling around, excited to see each other tomorrow after nearly a week, and the rest were teenage shenanigans.

Honestly, it was a breath of fresh air for Mayumi.

With everything that has happened to her, she often forgets that she's still a teenager. Her parents left her when she needed them most and she had to learn how to live by herself in a country that she barely knew. She had to work, and fight, and pay bills, and eventually, she learned how to live all by herself. She didn't find the need to go to school anymore, and she often finds students her age childish.

Here she was, worrying about losing her rank and losing her source of income –and often times, her own life- while people her age worry about break-outs on their faces, the latest fads out there, and the like. Mayumi found it ridiculous that they were so trapped inside their own, stupid world, and they don't see the bigger picture. But maybe, that was what's nice about being a teenager –you still get the get-out-of-jail-free-card in caring about the adult stuff. They get to learn slowly, like a snowball rolling down a hill.

They won't get to experience the same thing that Mayumi did –a nose dive into reality that was a tub of ice cold shit.

* * *

Mayumi didn't want to get another late, but she didn't want to be this fucking early, either.

Mayumi stood in an empty classroom at six in the morning as she sighed. She pushed back her shades to the bridge of her nose as she made her way to her seat at the back of the room. She didn't want to sleep yet, given that she had a concussion, and doing absolutely nothing at home did nothing to help her. She decided to go around town by foot, and the moment she got back from her walk, she started to get ready for school.

However, the moment she plopped down on her seat with her feet on the table, she knew that her eyes were doomed to shut. The next thing she knew, she was being shaken by none other than Uraraka.

"Yumi-san! Wake up!"

Mayumi sat straight up, her shades sliding down a bit, as she looked around. The lights were already on and most of her classmates were already there. Mayumi sighed as she leaned towards her desk and combed through her tied up hair, trying to calm her racing heartbeat.

"Yumi-san, are you alright? How long have you been here?" Uraraka asked.

"I've been here since six." Mayumi muttered as she felt her heartbeat start to slow down.

"Eh?! So early!"

"Rather than being so late." Mayumi said as she sat up. She needed coffee, or tea, asap.

"Yumi-san, please take off your shades! You have no reason to wear them indoors! And please fix your tie! It's too loose!"

She wasn't ready for Iida's shit this early in the morning.

"Yami-san! What's with the shades?!" A familiar voice asking, and Mayumi looked up to see Kirishima smirking at her. "Also, how was your date last night?" He asked, winking at her. Mayumi rolled her eyes, most of her classmates gasping.

"Yumi-san has a boyfriend?!"

"Date?! What?! Where?! When?!"

"Yumi-san went on a date?!"

"Was he cute?!"

"Yumi-san, spill the details!"

_Oh God, what the hell, Kirishima?!_

"Look, I didn't go on a date!" Yumi exclaimed, standing up in frustration. She didn't realize that her shades fell in the process, and now, her beaten up face was visible for them to see. Whatever yellowed bruise she had last knighted turned into a shade of black and blue, her eye swollen shut. Besides that, she had a cut on her brow, which was being held together by two stitches.

"Must have been a hell of a date." Kirishima muttered, taken aback by Mayumi's face. Mayumi rolled her eyes again, and picked up her glasses, putting them on again.

"I'd die first, before letting a man screw my face up like this on a date." Mayumi muttered before sitting down on her seat again.

"Yumi-san, what happened?" Uraraka asked, and Mayumi found it hard to make up a lie. She couldn't exactly say that she ran into a pole, given that it was stupid excuse.

"Guys, it's my business whoever did this to my face. I'll go to Recovery Girl once the clinic's open, and you guys can forget that my face ever looked like this, okay? I wouldn't worry about it." Mayumi told them, and she suddenly felt a slight twinge in her heart at the look of her classmates' faces. They weren't doing anything wrong. They were probably just concerned about her. She didn't have to snap at them.

"Seriously, Bakugou?!" She heard from the doorway, and her eyes widened at the sight before her.

It was Bakugou, with his hair slicked and combed down like in one of the guys in the ads she saw this morning.

As Bakugou continued to shout at Kirishima and Sero, Mayumi sniggered behind her hand. This seemed to catch his attention, and his glare was now directed at her. The moment he saw her, his hair exploded back to its normal state, and Kirishim and Sero laughed even more. Mayumi tried to hide it behind her hand, but it turned into a loud cackle.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP, SHIT FACE! YOU LOOK FUCKING WORSE THAN I DO!"

"Aww, did you miss me, Kacchan?" Mayumi mocked swooned, and this seemed to irritate the blonde hotshot even more. Explosions were set off from his palms as he stalked towards his desk, with Mayumi cackling out loud.

And so, after each of their internships, everything in class 1-A was back to normal... Or so everyone thought. Nobody noticed how their class president sat in his seat, staring at the cackling girl at the back of the classroom. Nobody noticed how he seemed to brood over the one question that he never thought of until now.

_What has been happening to Yumi?_

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM NOT DEAD!
> 
> I am just so busy with school and I need to catch up cuz I'm sure I'm nearly flunking one of my subjects.
> 
> Anyways, no need to worry about that. I hope you like this chapter, and I hope that you'd like the next one! ;) The next few chapters would be my favourite ones, by the way.
> 
> Don't be afraid to drop comments! Thank you so much for those who follow, read, bookmarked, and left a kudos for this story! Your support means a lot to me! ^_^


	9. Iida

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DOUBLE UPDATE TO MAKE UP FOR MY UNFORGIVABLE ABSENCE!
> 
> Warnings: Some mentions/implications of physical abuse.

The moment that Mayumi walked in with a black eye and gauze on her face, Iida knew that something was definitely wrong.

It was normal to see gauzes on his classmates, given their intense training classes, but a black eye tells a different story. Iida wasn't dumb. Everybody knows that. He's got top marks, he's got a prestigious name to carry, and he's got high upbringing. Without a doubt, he was destined to succeed.

However, given the incident in Hosu city, Iida felt as if he needed to redeem himself as their class representative –as the one who is supposed to be their role model.

Mayumi couldn't blame him for being more observant, now. Given the history of injuries that he had seen in his whole life, he knows just by looking at her that someone beat her up. If so, she could have simply said that she was held up or mugged, if that was what happened. However, all she said that it was none of their business, and that they shouldn't think about it at all.

_Is Mayumi –_

Iida's eyes widened. There was no way that Mayumi was having trouble at home, right? However, he couldn't say for sure. Whatever it was, one thing is for sure.

Mayumi was hiding something.

* * *

"Class dismissed."

The class dispersed from the field, heading towards the locker rooms to change for lunch–all but one.

"Aizawa-sensei," Iida said, approaching their sleep deprived teacher. "I have an important matter that I would wish to discuss with you, about the safety of one of our classmates."

Aizawa looked at Iida indifferently, as if asking him to just go on with whatever it was that he was suggesting.

"Aizawa-sensei, as the class representative, it is one of my duties to be wary of the wellbeing of my classmates," Iida explained. "I think that Mayumi-san is having trouble at home."

"What made you say this?" Aizawa asked, and Iida looked at his teacher with a stern look.

"I know that I shouldn't be prying, but I couldn't help but worry for her wellbeing," Iida said. "But it isn't the first time that Mayumi-san came to school all beaten up."

"Did you try asking her first?" Aizawa asked as both of them walked towards the main building of U.A..

"Most of our classmates did, but all she said that it was none of our business." Aizawa suddenly stopped to look at Iida.

"Then maybe it **is** none of your business." Aizawa said, bringing Iida to an abrupt stop.

"But sensei-"

"If you want to become a hero, one thing that you must understand is that there will be some people who do not want to be saved," Aizawa said, and Iida was about to retort something, but his teacher held a hand up. "As a hero, our service is first and foremost to their wellbeing, that is true. However, we must also respect their wishes." Aizawa explained.

"But sensei, if she would end up in harm's way, then that would go against everything I learned about being a hero. I sense that Mayumi is in trouble, and I cannot simply ignore that fact until I prove it wrong!"

"Fact, or intuition?" Aizawa asked Iida. "I am not saying that you should completely ignore it. If you really think that she is in harm's way, then try to talk to her first, before butting yourself in her life without her consent. However, if she refuses to say so, then I would advise you not to pry into her private life."

 _Else, you'd want more trouble,_ Aizawa thought. Knowing the Manager, he knows that he would not be happy if one of Mayumi's classmates found out what she really did.

"Is that understood, Iida?" Aizawa asked and Iida just nodded, before bowing.

"Understood, sensei. I apologize for being too forward."

"Good. Settle this discreetly, so that I don't have to intervene. Gods know that this school doesn't pay me enough to handle this crap."

* * *

"Mayumi-san, may I have a word?"

Mayumi turned to see their class representative standing behind her in the hallway. She was on her way back to the classroom, in hopes of getting a quick snooze first, before resuming classes.

"Look, Iida-kun, if this is about my lates and improper uniform, I'm trying to-"

"It's not about that." Iida said, and Mayumi raised both of her brows.

"O-kay... What did I do now?" Mayumi asked, and Iida just walked ahead of her, towards the direction of their classroom.

"Follow me."

On the way to their classroom, Mayumi felt as if she was back in junior high again, the first time that she was called to the Principal's Office for instigating a fight. Once they reached the room, Iida and Mayumi entered, closing the door behind them.

"Er-... What did I do?" Mayumi asked, backing up against the nearest desk she found.

"Mayumi-san, as a classmate and as someone who worries for your safety, please answer me with all honesty," Iida said, staring at Mayumi. "Why is it that you've often come to school all beaten up?"

 _What is he implying?_ Mayumi didn't know how to react. In all honesty, she didn't know how to respond. Recovery Girl was able to patch up the cuts on her face, however, the bruises were another story. She said that given Mayumi was sleep deprived for the day, she didn't have enough stamina to completely heal the bruises on her face. So Mayumi was still bruised on her face, and it really did seem as if someone beat her up.

"I really do not mean to intrude, but your well being is on the line," Iida explained. "Is someone beating you up, Yumi-san? Did you get into some sort of trouble? You do know that you could ask help from us, right?"

Mayumi wanted to scoff at whatever it was Iida was implying, because none of that were true. She joined the UFR on her own free will. Sure, the Manager proposed it, but she was the one who agreed to it. However, she couldn't say that what he said was false, either.

"That's what heroes do, Mayumi-san."

"Heroes, huh?" Mayumi muttered under her breath and scoffed at the idea. "I wonder if being a hero would mean sticking your nose into someone else's business."

"If it means saving someone's life, then yes, it does." Iida said, and Mayumi rolled her eyes.

"Look, I don't need saving," _Not anymore, I don't... If saving is all it's about, then where were they three years ago?_ "Whatever state I go to school to is my own doing. I am perfectly aware of what I do, so don't look at me like I need some goddamn saving, alright?!"

Mayumi turned and slid open the door, only to find a butt load of her classmates falling down in front of her. She looked at them, and they all looked up at her with an apologetic look. Mayumi just shook her head and continued her way out of the classroom, going to God knows where to cool down.

* * *

Mayumi found herself at the rooftop of the main building at U.A..

She sat at the ledge, staring at the horizon in deep thought.

_Damned Four Eyes –always the one with a stick up his ass... Why the fuck does he have to care about shit?_

It was during these times when Mayumi wished that it was night time, where the cold air would nip away at her skin. She'd prefer that over the warm sun that shone on her. Sunny days felt so fake to her. It was as if it was trying to hide all the shitty things in life, and Mayumi didn't want that. The shitty things had made her who she is today, and she didn't want to forget it.

_I am the rank three fighter._

_I am not a hero._

_I will never be a hero._

_I am a UFR fighter._

_Don't ever fucking think that you're gonna be a hero, Mayumi._

"You think that the Manager's paying good money so that you could cut classes like this?"

Mayumi turned to see Aizawa standing behind her, hands in his pockets as he glared at her. (Or maybe it was just his resting face. Mayumi wasn't sure anymore).

"He doesn't have to know," Mayumi said, turning back to look at the horizon. If the sun had a face, she wanted to punch its lights out. "Besides, he's the one who wanted me to go to take the hero course. I only agreed to it to put the old man's mind at rest –I owe him that much." She heard Aizawa walk towards her, stopping just behind her,

"Then it would do both of you any good if you start flunking out your subjects," He said. Mayumi just huffed continued to stare into the horizon. She hates to admit it, but the view from U.A. was nice. "Iida talked to me awhile ago, about your beaten up face."

"Well, he's nosy and he needs to back off. I told him off, and that should be it."

"Then you don't know your classmates enough to think that they'd just back off like that." Aizawa said, and Mayumi looked up at him.

"They want to be heroes, don't they? Isn't honor and all that shit supposed to be the first thing on their minds?"

"Supposedly. However, they have gone through so much together, that they started looking out for each other like family. They wouldn't let the other one get hurt or left behind. They share that kind of bond already, and you're a part of that now, whether you like it or not." Aizawa said, and Mayumi rolled her eyes. "If you plan on continuing your fighting career, then you should be more cautious around them. If you go on like this, they're going to find out any time soon."

"Well, shit. Whatever." Mayumi said, standing up to return to her class.

"I don't think they'd like whatever it is that they'd find out."

* * *

"Yami-san!"

Mayumi knew only one person who called her that, and she stopped in her heels. She turned to see her red haired classmate walking towards her, a group behind him. From her position, he could see Ashido, Sero, and Kaminari behind him, followed by two other people. She did her best to immediately up and leave for the sole reason of avoiding Kirishima and his group.

"Come with us! We'll be eating at the shopping district nearby," Kirishima said as he came near her. It was only when they neared, Mayumi realized that behind his group was Jirou and Bakugou, who was glaring at her. (Or maybe it was just his resting bitch face.) "Or are you meeting up with your boyfriend?" Kirishima asked, nudging Mayumi with his elbow. Most of them seemed amused, and sent Mayumi teasing grins and nudges –all but one.

"I can't. I still have errands to run."

_Feed my pregnant bitch, and sleep the whole night for training the next day._

"Aw, come on, Yumi-san," Sero said, flashing her a smile. "Can't you ditch whatever you have to do, just this once?" He asked, as they started walking towards the train station.

"Not unless you want me to come home to a dead pregnant dog, then sure, why not?" Mayumi grumbled. However, her classmates completely ignored her grumpy comment and cooed at the fact that she has a pregnant dog.

"Yumi-san, that's so cute! What breed is she?" Ashido asked.

"A dobberman." Mayumi simply said. _Why am I telling them this?_

"Eh?! Aren't they aggressive?" Kaminari asked, and Kirishima shook his head.

"I think it's awesome of you to have a dobberman!" He said, flashing Mayumi a toothy grin.

_Damn straight!_

As they walked, they reached the corner of the block, both groups parting ways. However, as she was walking, she heard someone call out to her.

"Oi, shit face!" Mayumi turned to see Bakugou skulking towards her, hands in his pockets.

"Bakugou, hurry up!" Kirishima called out.

"One fuckin' second!" Bakugou shouted behind him, his friends snickering and elbowing each other. Bakugou turned to face Mayumi, a scowl on his face. However, out of all of the faces of anger that Mayumi has seen on this guy, this was the most toned down one that she has ever seen.

"Good to see you again, Kacchan." Mayumi said, smirking.

"Shut the fuck up, Shit Face!" He said, his face contorting in annoyance. "Just because you got your face fucked up, doesn't excuse you from training –alright?" Mayumi smiled at that and shook her head.

"Wasn't planning to, Kacchan. Looking forward to this week end." Mayumi said, waving at him, and he just gave his signatory cocky smirk.

"The only one to look forward to is me beating your ass!"

* * *

"Midoriya-kun, a word, please."

"What's up, Iida-kun?"

Iida dragged Midoriya away from their lunch table, bringing him outside towards the line of trees. Once Iida was sure that no one was around, he looked at Midoriya with a serious look on his face.

"You knew Mayumi-san way back in Junior High School, right?" He asked, and Midoriya furrowed his brows,

"We studied in the same school, same with Kacchan."

"That would mean that you live in the same neighbourhood, right?" Iida asked, and Midoriya shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know where she lives. We really weren't close, and we didn't really know each other until we met here in U.A.. But I think we go down at the same station," Midoriya explained. "Iida-kun, what is happening?" Midoriya asked him.

"Midoriya, it is of utmost importance that what I am going to say to you should be only be between the both of us. Is that clear?" Iida asked, and Midoriya nodded.

"What do you need, Iida-kun?" Midoriya asked.

"I have a feeling that Mayumi-san is in big trouble." Iida said. Midoriya furrowed his brows from worry. However, given Mayumi's personality, a part of him didn't seem surprised at all.

"What made you say that?" Midoriya asked.

"Haven't you noticed? This is the second time that Mayumi-san had come to school with her face beaten up, and her injuries from yesterday didn't seem like a regular accident." Iida explained.

"So, what do you plan on doing, Iida-kun?"

"We need to know where she lives, and where it is she goes during her free time. We need to follow Mayumi-san."

* * *

Mayumi never felt more agitated in her life.

"You're too tense, Yumi. Loosen your shoulders!" The Manager scolded as she punched her sparring partner.

"You better be taking down notes, Kacchan!" Mayumi huffed as she leaned back to dodge the jabs of her sparring partner. The Manager pursed his lips, trying to hold himself from scolding Mayumi –telling her that in two weeks' time, she'd be fighting a man thrice the size of her sparring partner; a man nearly as big as Doc Gator, and punches harder than him; a veteran fighter who's rank two for a reason. He had to hold his tongue, given that Mayumi's classmate –her student, was standing beside him, arms and head resting on the mat of the boxing ring. The Manager looked at the boy with explosive blonde hair, his brows furrowed and his eyes calculating and observant of Mayumi's every move. It was either he was that intent in learning that much from Mayumi, or it was something else.

"Yumi, imagine that your sparring partner is thrice as big –like All Might!" The Manager exclaimed, and he heard the boy beside him –the one Mayumi called Kacchan, let out an amused huff.

"She doesn't stand a fucking chance against All Might," Bakugou said, "She's too fucking weak." The Manager's head turned to shoot Bakugou a piercing look.

"Too fuckin'-..." The Manager let out a sarcastic laugh and shook his head, his gaze back to his pupil. "You don't know a thing about what you're saying, you brat."

"I'll get you for that, Kacchan!" Mayumi exclaimed, struggling on the ground as her sparring partner pinned her and captured her on a head lock.

"You're done for, Yumi!" The Manager shouted as Mayumi struggled hard to get away from the head lock. Mayumi let out a frustrated shout as she gave one final kick, her body going slack as a sign of defeat. Her sparring partner released the head lock and offered a hand towards her. However, she only slapped it, as to give a high five, and her partner just shrugged before going off the ring. The Manager climbed to the boxing ring and walked towards her, softly kicking her side.

"If that's gonna be your attitude in the fight with Knuckle Duster, then might as well back out now." The Manager softly said, and Mayumi looked up at him, her brows furrowed and in her eyes, a mix of defeat and determination.

"That blonde shit is right. I'm still too fucking weak –oof!" Mayumi clutched her stomach and rolled to the side when the Manager sent a kick to her side.

"Then call Knuckle Duster now, and quit." The Manager said, looking down at her with stern eyes.

"No." She said, and the Manager huffed.

"Then don't give me that attitude. Get up from your ass and do something about it." The Manager said, walking away. Mayumi huffed and flipped herself to lie down on her other side, only to meet the red eyes of an explosive blonde. His eyes didn't seem judging –only calculating and observant. However, his eyebrows were still furrowed. Mayumi wondered if that was just how he normally looks like. Mayumi sighed and sat up, looking at Bakugou.

She couldn't look pathetic in front of his student.

"Wanna have a go?" She asked, and Bakugou just smirked and climbed onto the boxing ring.

"You're on, Yumi."

* * *

"Midoriya-kun, are you sure this is the place?"

"Yes, I'm sure of it, Iida-kun."

Midoriya and Iida hid behind the wall of a building just a block away from an old gym. It's been three weeks since they started this mini-operation of theirs, and this was their first lead. Who knew that being a detective and investigating people would take this long?

"Over there!" Midoriya pointed towards a girl that was jogging around. They both squinted their eyes, to confirm their speculations.

"It's Yumi-san!" Iida said.

"And...Kacchan?!" Midoriya asked, bewildered as he saw a blonde man jog next to her. He could have taken that man for anyone, but the explosive blonde hairstyle confirmed Midoriya's guess.

"Are they together?!" Iida asked, and Midoriya shrugged.

"I don't think we should be intruding, Iida-kun."

"I know, but at least we have a lead. This is more than what we had yesterday."

"I hope that Yumi-san's not caught up in any trouble."

* * *

"Bring it on, you bitch!"

Mayumi sent a right jab to Bakugou's face, who quickly blocked it.

_Good. He's improving in defence._

While Bakugou took a side step to block Mayumi's hook, he sent a jab to Mayumi's stomach. Mayumi let out a groan at that, and Bakugou had a twisted, triumphant grin on his face as she did. Mayumi took a couple steps back, regaining her stance, and quickly moving to defend herself. Bakugou sent an outer kick that was aimed for her head, and Mayumi caught his foot, twisting it so that he'd fall. Mayumi immediately pinned him to the ground, wrapping her legs around his hips and locking it around his thighs. Mayumi was about to wrap arms around his neck to catch him in a head lock, but his quick reflexes had other plans. His elbows continuously assaulted her stomach, and Mayumi steeled herself. She was used to taking hits like that, so instead, she sent hammerfists towards his head.

"Get off me, you fuckin' leech!" Bakugou exclaimed, and Mayumi let out a loud cackle as Bakugou pushed her off of him with a rather forceful hit to her side. As Mayumi nursed her stomach, Bakugou tackled her and grabbed her by the neck, quickly resuming the position of a head lock –something that he watched from Mayumi's sparring sessions. However, there was one reason why Mayumi made her way to rank three. When it comes to head locks –when she's cleared her mind and focused on the fight, she has a way of getting out of head locks and submissions.

"You're gonna fuckin' die, Shit Face!" Bakugou growled, and Mayumi smirked as she reached behind her to grab Bakugou's hair in her fists. She crawled on all fours with Bakugou hanging onto her, as she went to the railings of the ring. She reached further behind her 'til she felt the back of Bakugou's tank top. Using her quirk, she grabbed it and lifted him, slamming him to the ground as hard as she can, freeing her from his head lock just from her sheer strength. As she slammed Bakugou to the ground, he let out a groan, before Mayumi locked her legs once more around his hips, and this time, she was successful in her head lock position. She managed to lock Bakugou's head around her arms, and stayed there 'til she felt him tapping her arm.

Mayumi released the head lock, both of them panting hard.

Mayumi smiled at him.

"You almost had me there, Kacchan." Mayumi said, leaning on the corner post of the boxing ring as Bakugou laid down, panting.

"Just wait 'til classes, Shit Face. You're gonna fucking die by my hand, y'here me?" He said, glaring at her, and Mayumi just smiled and patted his shoulder. She reached for both of their water bottles and gave him his. Both of them opened their bottled and downed its contents, some of it poured over their heads as to cool them down.

To Mayumi, this was just like a spa day to relax her from the inevitable fight the upcoming week.

She didn't know why, but during her fight with Bakugou, it felt as if her confidence was anchored down. His confidence was contagious, and Mayumi felt as if she wanted that kind of confidence around her fight.

"Bakugou," She said, the blonde's piercing eyes snapping up to look at her. She never called him by his name. "I-..."

 _I want you to go to my fight,_ was what Mayumi wanted to say. However, it was as if her brain flashed an immediate red light and made her stop.

What was she thinking? She would be risking her career by bringing in someone from her school. Not to mention, she'd be putting him in danger just by dragging him to a place like the UFR.

"Spit it out, Shit Face." Bakugou demanded, and Mayumi blinked, coming back from her thoughts.

"I-... I can't train with you next Saturday." She said, and Bakugou's eyes furrowed.

"And why the fuck not?" He asked, glaring at her.

"Because-..." _What should she say? What should she say? What should she say?_ "I have a date next Saturday."

If Bakugou could spit water at her, he would have already done it. He just stared at her, mouth hanging open and face in between 'unbelievable!' and 'what the fuck did you just say?'.

"Say what, Shit Face?" Bakugou asked, and Mayumi rolled her eyes. It would be no surprise if he's gone partially deaf from all the shouting and exploding he does.

"I said I've got a date this Saturday, and I can't train with you." She said a bit louder, just in case he really didn't hear it. Thank God it was Bakugou and not Kirishima that she was telling this to, or else, this would spread like wildfire throughout the whole class.

"And who the fuck would be in the right state of mind to go out with you?" Bakugou asked, and Mayumi frowned at him.

"Are you implying something, Explodo-Boy?" She asked, and Bakugou huffed.

"Yeah, I'm saying that nobody sane would ever think of dating you, even at first look," Bakugou bluntly said, and Mayumi huffed, throwing her water bottle at his head. "What the fuck was that for?!"

"Good luck in finding another training partner, asshole." She said, getting up and leaving for the staircase. Mayumi didn't know why she was affected from what Bakugou said, even though she really wasn't going on a date.

Was she that displeasing?

"Oi, shit face, came back here! We're not fucking done yet!"

But for the day, Mayumi was done putting up with Bakugou's shit.

* * *

"Yumi-san, you seem distracted."

"What?"

Mayumi didn't realize that she was zoning out, stir fried vegetables pinched between her chopsticks. She looked around the table to see Uraraka, Iida and Midoriya staring at her, waiting for whatever it was that she has to say. At least Todoroki seemed as if he could care less. He just continued to quietly sit and eat his soba.

_Todoroki –how to be like you?_

"Oh, don't mind me. I'm just-... thinking."

Mayumi was far from thinking –at least properly. Thousands of thoughts were going through her head already, and Mayumi felt as if her brain was going to explode anytime.

_What if I lose? It's not like I'm gonna lose my title._

_But I want to beat Knuckle Duster. I don't want to look like an idiot in front of him._

_Oh God, I'm a good for nothing piece of shit._

"Yumi-san, we're worried about you." Uraraka said, and it was as if a warning light lit up in Mayumi's head.

"Nobody asked you to worry about me, okay?!" She said, standing up and slamming her fists on the table. This time, even people around her looked at her, staring at her. Even Todoroki, who stopped halfway in slurping his soba noodles.

_Why did I say that? She did nothing wrong._

With that, Mayumi ran from their table to the furthest girl's bathroom she knew. Kicking a stall open, she locked herself in before throwing up whatever little of lunch she ate. Mayumi heaved and clutched her stomach, eyes wide at the realization that the fight with Knuckle Duster was coming up. She felt it in her gut that something bad was going to happen –something that would change whatever direction her life was going towards to; Something like a slow motioned wrecking ball that was about to take its first swing on a good for nothing building.

Mayumi didn't realize it at the moment, but she felt scared.

They thought she didn't notice, but she could sense Iida and Midoriya eyeing her and watching her, when they thought she wasn't looking. She knew that they were onto her, and that added to everything she felt.

Plus, she didn't exactly say sorry to Bakugou after her outburst last Saturday.

Not like she'd matter to him, anyways.

Mayumi just slumped on the floor, leaning back on the door of the bathroom stall.

_It feels like I'm on the edge of a cliff, moments before someone pushes me off._

* * *

"Iida-kun, if we don't find anything today, I think we should stop looking into Mayumi's private life."

Midoriya suggested, both of them walking along the streets towards where Mayumi lived. The train that they rode on broke down, causing them to go down on the station on the other side of town. They decided to walk towards Mayumi's building, already feeling dejected that there seemed to be nothing wrong with Mayumi.

"Maybe Mayumi-san isn't hiding something," Iida admitted, hands in his pockets as they passed a dark alley. However, both of them still felt the worry that they had for their classmate. Although she hasn't been around them for long, doesn't mean that she doesn't deserve the same amount of care and damns that they give to their classmates. She was part of them now, and that was just how things would work from now on.

"Iida-kun, I think we should hurry home," Midoriya said, looking around and noting the many sleazy and conspicuous people that started to gather and move towards the alley. "It's getting late, and I'm not familiar with this neighbourhood." Midoriya said, and Iida nodded, before they started to walk faster. However, his eyes lit up as he saw a familiar face walking towards them.

"Kacchan!" Midoriya exclaimed, and immediately, the blonde boy's mood turned sour.

"Shitty-Deku, Four Eyes, what the fuck do you want?" He asked, continuing to walk. Midoriya observed his outfit –black shirt, baggy gym shorts, and a gym bag slung over his shoulder- maybe he came from Mayumi's place.

"Kacchan, have you seen Mayumi by any chance?" Midoriya asked, and Bakugou's brows seemed to furrow even more.

"Why the fuck should I give two shits about that dumb bitch?" Bakugou growled. However, the anger on his face suddenly toned down as he nodded towards someone behind Midoriya and Iida. "There goes the dumb bitch."

Midoriya and Iida turned to see Mayumi walking to the direction of the alley that they passed.

"Wait, Yumi-san?" Midoriya asked, and he heard Bakugou growl from behind him.

"That dumb bitch ditches on training with me for a fucking date in a fucked up place like that?!" Bakugou growled, marching to the direction of the alley.

"Kacchan! Wait! We can't be seen in a place like that!" Midoriya exclaimed, chasing after Bakugou.

"Then don't follow me, Shitty Deku!" He growled. However, being the diligent classmates that they were, they couldn't let Bakugou stroll in alone in a place that they didn't know. They followed the people, going through a metal door that lead to a dingy basement that reeked of alcohol, sweat, and smoke.

The moment that they stepped foot into the basement, they knew that they shouldn't be here.

"Kacchan, I think we should go." Midoriya mutterd, tugging on the sleeve of Bakugou's shirt.

"Then get the fuck out if you want to."

"Bakugou-kun, this is for our own safety," Iida said, holding Bakugou's arm.

"Don't fucking touch me, Four Eyes! While you shit heads want to get the fuck out of here, I'm here to make sure that that dumb bitch doesn't get fucked over in a sketchy place like this." Bakugou hissed. Midoriya and Iida froze, because they had to admit to their selves that what Bakugou said made absolute sense. They saw Mayumi go here with their very own eyes.

They should at least make sure that she was safe.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! TODAY IS A SPECIAL FUCKING NIGHT FOR ALL OF YOU FOLLOWERS OF THE UFR!"

"Shit, this is an underground league fight." Bakugou hissed to them, immediately sticking to the wall.

"Underground league fight?" Iida asked, and Bakugou shot them a look.

"An underground fighting league, you dumb fucks," Bakugou muttered, eyeing the cage at the center of the basement. "It used to be an official sport, until it died down with the rise of quirks. Now, it's just an underground fighting league." Bakugou explained, as the crowd went wild.

"THIS IS A FIGHT THAT YOU HAVE NEVER EVEN HEARD OF BEFORE. YOU DO NOT WANT TO BLINK FOR THIS FIGHT, FOLKS!" The announcer blared through the shitty speakers, and Bakugou flinched.

"THIS IS WHAT A LEAGUE FIGHT SHOULD BE, AND FOR THIS NIGHT –THIS NIGHT THERE WILL BE NO PRELIMINARY CARDS! WE WILL GO STRAIGHT INTO ALL THE BLOOD, ALL THE ACTION, AND ALL THE MURDER THAT WILL BE HAPPENING TONIGHT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!"

"Murder?" Midoriya nervously asked, and Bakugou rolled his eyes.

"People die, but not very often. It's just to fucking hype up the crowd, idiot."

"NOW, WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, IT IS MY HONOR TO WELCOME HIM BACK TO THE CAGE, THE BLOOD CURLING RUTHLESS MOTHER-FUCKER, THE RANK TWO FIGHTER OF THE UFR, KNUCKLE DUSTERRRRR!" The crowd roared as a burly man with a black shirt and combat pants and boots walked to the Cage. He wore a black mask that covered the top half of his face, and a frown that seemed to be permanent. He didn't wave, or do anything to appease the crowd, but they sure did love him.

"AND NOW, THE CHALLENGER THAT THE DEFENDER HAD CHALLENGED! SHE'S WON IT ALL, FOLKS, AND SHE'S IN IT FOR MORE! THE HARD, COLD, WOMAN WITH BALLS OF STEEL, THE RANK THREE FIGHTER OF THE UFR, THE IRON LADY!"

"Kacchan, is that-"

"Yumi-san!"

"No fucking way, Shit Face."

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have to admit that this chapter seemed rushed, because I really wanted to move on to the next chapter, which was the first scene I thought of when I was giving birth to this story. I'm really excited to post it next week, given that half of it is done.
> 
> But seriously, they know, now OoO
> 
> Please don't hesitate to leave a comment, or to hit the bookmark/kudos button! ^_^


	10. Mayumi vs Knuckle Duster

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE WAIT IS FRICKIN' OVER! GET HYPED NOW!

Mayumi felt like running.

There were only three times in her life when Mayumi was serious about running away. The first time was when her dad would often come home drunk off his ass and would talk shit about her mother. It was a side of her father that she'd never seen before, and she was glad that it was now a side that she will never get to see. She only stopped because she knew and witnessed that he had changed. The second time was when her grandmother hit her for breaking another one of her antiques. That one, she really did run away. She ran to the other city and rented out a cheap motel room, until she came back to their house the next day. A week after that, her father decided to take up that job offer in Japan as a truck driver, and her mother applied as a cookery teacher.

This would probably be the third.

Mayumi stood still in her prep room, and for her prep time, she requested if he could be alone. She needed to steel herself for this fight, because she knew that it was going to be different.

They didn't call him Knuckle Duster for nothing.

Knuckle Duster was quirkless, and that didn't stop him from being a fighter in the UFR. Though he wasn't allowed to wear knuckle dusters, his fists were hard enough to feel like one. He probably trained like hell, and word has it that he used to be involved with hero business back in his days. He wasn't exactly a hero, but he wasn't a villain either. The believed that he used to be a vigilante, and Mayumi was cool with that. People don't need hero licenses or fame to want to do good. If he was doing it for a good cause, Mayumi didn't mind.

Out of all of the fighters in the UFR, this one Mayumi respected the most. She could probably compare it to the way that Midoriya idolized All Might –although, not in the same obsessive way, but she still looks up at Knuckle Duster and respects him in the same way. To Mayumi, she felt as if she could never be at the same level with Knuckle Duster.

In all of his fights that she'd seen, he was humble, and he never did anything that the crowd wanted him to do. He was cool like that, and Mayumi knew that he fought because he genuinely wanted to fight, and not because of the money they earned –and the UFR made big money. The bets that were placed were not only bets made by those who go there, but underground gym owners, and sometimes, even a yakuza or two. Mayumi swore that one time, she saw those villains in the news in the UFR, silently watching in a dark corner.

But none of that matters, now. Right now, she had to focus on her fight with Knuckle Duster.

She heard the door open and close, and she could only guess that it was the Manager. Mayumi closed her eyes and concentrated on breathing evenly and easing the queasiness that she felt in her stomach.

"If you're here to talk crap to steel myself, please don't. I'm trying to concentrate on not throwing up."

"Nah. I'm here to wish you good luck, kid." Was all the Manager said, and Mayumi opened her eyes and turned to look at him.

"You're not gonna spout any horrible shit, or something?"

"Nah. I know how much this fight means to ya," The Manager said, and Mayumi smiled for the first time tonight. "Now let's go kick that son-of-a-bitch's ass."

* * *

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! TODAY IS A SPECIAL FUCKING NIGHT FOR ALL OF YOU FOLLOWERS OF THE UFR!"

Mayumi could hear the muffled announcement of the Host blaring through the walls of her prep room. She won't say that she was ready for this, because it felt like she would never be ready to fight Knuckle Duster. However, that doesn't mean that she wouldn't be going down without a hell of a fight. She was going to make this fight worth it.

Knuckle Duster had faith that she could take him on, so why shouldn't she?

"THIS IS A FIGHT THAT YOU HAVE NEVER EVEN HEARD OF BEFORE. YOU DO NOT WANT TO BLINK FOR THIS FIGHT, FOLKS! THIS IS WHAT A LEAGUE FIGHT SHOULD BE, AND FOR THIS NIGHT –THIS NIGHT THERE WILL BE NO PRELIMINARY CARDS! WE WILL GO STRAIGHT INTO ALL THE BLOOD, ALL THE ACTION, AND ALL THE MURDER THAT WILL BE HAPPENING TONIGHT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!"

Mayumi gulped at that. She never thought about it once, but what if she died at the hands of Knuckle Duster? Not that he killed anyone before, but she just had a feeling that she was going to be beaten bloody after this fight, win or lose.

"NOW, WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, IT IS MY HONOR TO WELCOME HIM BACK TO THE CAGE, THE BLOOD CURLING RUTHLESS MOTHER-FUCKER, THE RANK TWO FIGHTER OF THE UFR, KNUCKLE DUSTERRRRR!"

The crowd went _wild._

Mayumi peeked through the door, and saw him walking up again, and his team in tow. His team consisted of Pop Step, an amateur street performer back in her days, and a man with a mask and what seemed to be an All Might merchandise jacket.

Mayumi suddenly wondered if Midoriya had one of those.

_God dammit, don't think. Just focus, dammit._

"AND NOW, THE CHALLENGER THAT THE DEFENDER HAD CHALLENGED! SHE'S WON IT ALL, FOLKS, AND SHE'S IN IT FOR MORE! THE HARD, COLD, WOMAN WITH BALLS OF STEEL, THE RANK THREE FIGHTER OF THE UFR, THE IRON LADY!"

Mayumi went out of the prep room, and the crowd cheered for her. Some gave her pats on her back, some shouted words of encouragement like 'kick his ass' or 'beat the shit out of him'. It was enough to give Mayumi a boost of confidence, and before she knew it, she was standing inside the Cage with Knuckle Duster.

_Fuck. I don't feel ready for this._

"How are ya, kid?" Was the first thing he asked, and Mayumi felt like she could cry. It was the first time someone did that.

"Could be better." Was all Mayumi said, and it probably summed up everything about her.

She really could be better at everything, if she put more effort to it.

But that was the least of her problems right now.

"Now, folks, you know the rules! Biting, scratching, and elbowing is allowed, and punch to your heart's content until the bell rings! I don't think I need to remind the both of you how this works," The Host said, and Mayumi rolled her shoulders back, trying to release the tension and nervousness she felt. "Now, what we've all been waiting for! LET THE FIGHT BEGIN!"

If there were anything that put the following events into motion like a domino effect, this would have been it.

Knuckle Duster held out his fist for her, and Mayumi looked at it, and looked back up at him.

They both smiled, and Mayumi bumped his fist with hers.

Mayumi and Knuckle Duster immediately separated, once their fists bumped, and they went back to their defense positions. They were circling around each other, trying to weigh if they, or the other was going to make the first move. The crowd cheered, shoulders tense, awaiting the action.

They didn't have to wait for long, when Knuckle Duster came towards Mayumi, sending a jab straight towards her face, followed by another one, and an attempted uppercut.

_Dodge. Dogdge. BACK THE FUCK UP!_

Mayumi stumbled back as she dodged the uppercut, and immediately took a step to the side, giving him the slip and avoiding getting cornered between her and Knuckle Duster.

"And the Iron Lady breaks from a tight position, folks, and chooses to run."

_THE FUCK?! I AM NOT RUNNING!_

Mayumi went back to her defense position, thinking of how she should go through with this. She had to be careful not to get caught, or even block Knuckle Duster's punches, lest she wants to get totalled by this guy. So, she has to battle this out using her agility, and use their difference in weight to her advantage. As he tried to advance and land punches on her, she dodged, trying to land jabs and kicks in some of them, until she was able to land a kick straight to his chest as he sent a right hook. That kick sent enough adrenaline in her to accidentally activate her quirk, making Knuckle Duster stumble a few steps back, nearly losing his balance.

Mayumi swore that she saw him smile.

The crowd cheered as she advanced on him, using her quirk to use jabs towards his face.

However, as she sent a hook, she made a small mis-step that changed the course of the fight. Just by leaning her body a little, her hand that was supposed to be guarding her face went down a little, giving Knuckle Duster an opening enough to land an uppercut on her chin.

First, Mayumi went deaf, the cheers of the crowd turning into a dull ringing, like an everlasting feedback from a mic.

Then, Mayumi felt another impact of his knuckles on her cheek, and then the pain of bone hitting bone followed. As she stumbled from the right hook, she felt a punch land on her stomach. She felt like puking on the spot as that punch to her gut sent her on all fours. Next was a kick to her face, and she tasted something metallic in her mouth. She spat out the blood as she tried to get away from him. She probably looked pathetic right now, and Mayumi hated it. Ad she crawled towards the edge of the Cage, she looked up and her eyes suddenly grew wide.

_What the fuck were they doing here?!_

She stared at the three people that stood by the wall of the UFR, horrified, as Knuckle Duster grabbed her by her hair and dragged her to the center of the UFR. She knew that it hurt like a bitch, but as she looked at the small group at the back of the crowd, she knew that whatever was to come is worse than having this hunk of a man slamming her like a ragdoll by the hair. Mayumi struggled, trying her best to pry his hands off her hair and slamming her fist to his arm. She was too late, however, when he swung her behind him and slammed her down on the ground.

She didn't hear the crowd, nor could she see them. All she could hear was a goddamn deafening silence, and a blurred light. She could feel her body move, as if trying to stand up, but she felt it fall back to the ground without her say. She knew that she was done for in the fight. She would lose her credibility as a fighter, and lower ranks would see her as weak and challenge her left and right. She was a fucking failure. A high school delinquent who barely passes the hero course.

What good was she to her own life, much less to the lives of others?

Mayumi tried to pry the hands gripping her hair, and she started to feel panic rising in her. She wasn't able to think properly anymore, her thoughts racing from one to another. Then, her hearing cleared enough to hear that piercing shout.

"Get up, Yumi! Fight!"

_Midoriya, don't say my fucking name out loud, goddammit._

"Fight, you fucking bitch! Don't be such a fucking pussy!"

_What the hell, Kacchan?_

As if a single drop of rocket fuel entered her system, it gave her enough strength to stand and raise her fists to her face before the countdown ended. She threw punches that she knew wouldn't hit, but she couldn't look like a sorry piece of ass in front of her classmates. She had to go down fighting until her body is screaming at her to stop.

As if fate wanted to stop watching her pathetic excuse of a fight, the bell of the first round rung.

Mayumi barely felt the arms of her team assisting her to her corner. Her vision was getting clear, and she saw the Manager in front of her. She knew that he was talking to her, but his voice sounded muffled. Her eyes were droopy, and all she wanted to do was to shut them. What was keeping her from doing so was the tapping that the Manager was doing to her face.

"-Yumi do-...sleep...-ing off... -o a hospital."

Yumi furrowed her brows. A hospital? Were they bringing her to a hospital? What about the fight? She must have said it out loud, since the Manager slapped her to make her eyes open. He pulled her head towards his and spoke close to her ears.

"You're done with this fight, Yumi. You don't have to finish it if you can't."

Mayumi felt tears in her eyes as the Manager said that. She can't quit now. Knuckle Duster is the rank two fighter in the UFR. He was right there already. She was able to land a few punches on him, and was able to make him stumble.

He wanted to fight her for a reason. She wouldn't be here if she can't.

She can do this. She just needs to push harder.

_**Don't push yourself too hard, Yumi. It's okay to admit that you can't do something.** _

_Fuck, why is this coming back to me now?_

_**Yumi, it's okay to admit that you have weaknesses.** _

_No! Shut up!_

Mayumi grabbed the Manager's wrist. It hurt to talk, and she didn't know why, but she tried to.

"No hospital," She mumbled. "Fight on." The Manager looked at her as if she just shat on his most precious alcohol cannister.

"Yumi, stop! You have a concussion, your head is bleeding, and he knocked some of your teeth loose from that right hook. I can't watch you fight like this."

"Shut up. I'll fight. I've taken worse." She said. She took her water bottle and squirted water into her mouth. Then she noticed that some parts did hurt, especially some parts in her molars.

"Yumi you need a hospital."

"And I need to win this," She told him, looking at the Managet dead in the eye. "I have to." _This is the only way that I can prove my worth to you and myself_. Was what Mayumi wanted to say, but her eyes said it all, and somehow, the Manager knew what she Manager looked at her with an expression she's never seen before.

"Yumi, this isn't the only way." He said, and they heard the host announce their last thirty seconds for a break. Yumi was determined to finish this fight, and the Manager wasn't able to do anything about it. So they iced her face, lathered petroleum jelly on it, and she was good to go. Before she stood up, she grabbed the Manager's arm.

"Hey, uh... Old man. Awhile ago, I saw some of my classmates here." She said, and the Manager's eyes furrow.

"The fuck are they doing here? You invited them or somethin'?"

"Come on, you know I don't mix my life at school with this," Mayumi said. "It's just -uh, I don't want them to see me like this."

"Why? You ain't proud of you being the top 3 fighter in the UFR? Cuz I sure am, and if you're scared that they won't be, then you're even more stupid than I thought." The Manager said, and Mayumi's eyes widened at that.

_This old man... He's cranky, but he's a fucking softie._

"But I get your point. I'll see to them." He said, and Mayumi did something that she's never done before. She wrapped her arms around the Manager's neck and pulled him close.

They didn't need to say anything else, because the moment that the Manager's arms wrapped around her shoulder, it said everything they needed to.

As Mayumi left for the Cage, the Manager immediately searched for her classmates. He needed to get them out of here, else they'd get in trouble, and Mayumi would get in trouble. He searched the crowd for a young face, until he saw explosive blonde hair by the wall. He recognized that blonde hair. He saw that hair during the U.A. sports festival, and it was the brat that trains with Mayumi.

_Look at me in the face and tell me she's fucking weak again._

He weaved through the crowd, until he reached the opposite side of the UFR, the blonde hot-headed kid in his line of sight, along with two other students. The blonde brat was scolding the other one with green curly hair, while the other kid, one with glasses, hissed back.

The Manager walked up to them, his eyes stern.

"You're U.A. kids, aren't you?" He asked, and the three of them looked up at him. Four-eyes and the brocolli-kid looked like they were about to bolt and run, but the blonde hotshot seemed indifferent.

"What's it to ya, old man? Why don't you mind your own business?!" The hotshot asked, turning to look at him, his lip snarling. The brocolli-kid hissed a scolding 'Kacchan' at him, but it was to no avail. However, the blonde's face changed as he saw who it was.

"I apologize for the rudeness of our friend, sir. If you'll excuse us, we have to get going now." The four-eyes said, as he tried to leave, dragging the brocolli kid. However, the Manager grabbed four eyes by the collar of his shirt. The blonde hotshot looked ready to attack him, but he eyed them.

"You're Yumi's classmates, aren't you?" He asked. All of them tensed, unsure about who this man was. "She asked me to fetch you. It's not safe for you to stay in this crowd." He said, and the brocolli kid looked like he finally grew a spine, because he stepped up to him.

"We're not leaving until we make sure that Yumi's all right." He said, and the Manager felt something swell in his chest.

_You have good people looking out for you, Yumi. You just don't know it yet._

"Come with me. I know a place where you can watch safely."

* * *

Mayumi stepped up to the Cage, ready for the second round. She reached out her gloved fist to Knuckle Duster, and he smiled and bumped it with his own.

The bell rang, and the second round began.

"All right, folks! The second round has started with some good 'ol fashioned sportsmanship once more! As we can see here, our Iron Lady is back in the ring, still kickin, even after that blow! But the question is, will she hold out? Will this round end quickly, and with Knuckle Duster defending his title?"

_Like hell I would let him. This is my shot, and I ain't letting it go to waste._

Mayumi side stepped and sent a quick kick to Knuckle Duster's side, then backing up again. If she wasn't gonna win this damn thing by knock out, might as well land as much hits as she can. She felt a jab hit her cheek, but she was able to back up to lessen the force of the punch. He may be quirkless, but this man was huge. His punches would still hurt. She tried to send some kicks to his stomach, hoping that he'd let his guard down again. She sent a kick to the side, which didn't do shit, since he was as sturdy as a boulder. Mayumi sent one to his stomach, activating her quirk, and it was enough to send Knuckle Duster stumbling backwards again, his hands falling to his sides to regain his balance. The crowd was already yelling and shouting obscenities by this time, eager to know who would win, and she sent another kick aimed to the side of her opponent's torso. She got her wanted result when Knuckle Duster dodged by stepping to the side and grabbing her leg.

In a blink of an eye, using her quirk, Mayumi wrenched her leg out of Knuckle Duster's grasp. She then latched her legs on Knuckle Duster's back, her legs locking over his stomach. Her arms went over his neck, her left hooked just under his chin and her right arm over it, acting as additional pressure by pulling at her left arm.

However, Knuckle Duster wasn't crowned with the spot of number 2 for nothing.

He purposefully fell on his back, lying on Mayumi. The impact knocked the wind out of Mayumi's lungs, causing her to lose her grip on his neck. Her legs, however, were still locked around his stomach, and that was all Mayumi needed to make sure that she will be winning. She huffed out, thinking for a moment on how she could play this out. As she thought of a plan, she continued to send hammer fists to his head, while he alternated between elbowing her and sending hammer fists to her legs. She has to keep his arms busy, so she could put her left arm over his neck. As Mayumi did so, both his hands tried to pry her arm away from his neck, and he relentlessly elbowed her side, which hurt like a bitch. But Mayumi was relentless, and she tightened her arm on his neck. She let out a loud cry, letting out all the pain and frustration messing with her, and activated her quirk. She sent punches to Knuckle Duster's temple, hitting with everything she has. With the repeated hits on his head and the lack of oxygen his body was taking, she felt his body go slack, with a light tapping in her arm. His body stopped struggling, and his legs shot out and fell limp. Even so, she kept on punching him until the host and some people had to pry her away from Knuckle Duster's unconscious body.

"AND THAT IS IT, PEOPLE! THE IRON LADY IS THE WINNER OF THIS FIGHT BY KNOCK-OUT!" Mayumi just let herself fall to her knees, curling until her head touched the floor. She now felt the fatigue on her body, the ache and stinging sensation in her gums, and the blood trickling down her face. She was tired and beat up, but she never felt higher in her life. She let out all the tears of joy and frustration that she held back until she felt the host assist her to her feet. He held her hand, lifting it up in triumph.

"I NOW PRESENT TO YOU THE NEW RANK TWO FIGHTER IN THE UFR! THE IRON LADY!"

* * *

"Kacchan, I can't see!"

"Bakugou! Move your head!"

"Shut the fuck up, you extras! There's nothing left to see! The fight's done!"

However, for Bakugou, everything was there for him to see. The Manager led them to Mayumi's prep room and said they could watch from the small creak in the door before leaving. He was able to watch the whole fight, until Mayumi was able to take down Knuckle Duster. He had his two classmates trying to push his head down, just to get a peep. What Bakugou was looking at now was a side of Mayumi that he's never seen. Ever since she first saw him in that gym, until she came to U.A., she never showed them much of herself. She studied, barely participated in class, but somehow managed to pass them. She didn't even bother to make friends, arriving either right on time or late for homeroom, and leaving as soon as possible, and only forcing herself to go along with Midoriya and his troop. Even in her training with Bakugou, she teased him, sure, but she had a no-nonsense attitude when they get serious, and he can admit, he liked that about her. He thought that she was just an amateur and had never been in a real fight, like he had.

Looking at her now, all bloody and triumphant -almost crazed- in her victory, she was laying her emotions and passion bare to them, and Bakugou felt something uncomfortable settling in his chest. He didn't like it one bit. It was like having someone step on his chest, and at the same time, wanting to barf his heart out. It felt slightly suffocating, and he knew that he couldn't have that.

Bakugou convinced himself that he didn't feel anything as he saw Mayumi's triumph, and pushed it back to the depths of his mind.

As Mayumi turned to the now conscious Knuckle Duster to shake hands with him, a body blocked their view and if they didn't back up, the door would have slammed at their faces when it was opened. Mayumi's crew went in, and they immediately went to different parts of the room. They pulled up a chair, a table, and laid various medical supplies there.

"Kids, I need you to stay on one side of the room, please." One of them, a blonde female, said.

Wordlessly, they backed up to one side of the room, and soon enough, the Manager came in with a bloodied Mayumi around his arms.

"Get some water ready. We have to wash off this damn paint." The Manager said, leading Mayumi to the chair.

"Told ya it was a bad idea," Mayumi said, a stupid smile on her face as she sat with a groan. "I feel so fucking tired. I'm just gonna shut my eyes for a bit." Mayumi mumbled, leaning back a bit, before the Manager lightly slapped her face.

"Hey, idiot, don't you fucking close your eyes. You just dealt with a serious concussion, and that means you can't sleep -not even a wink, you understand me?" He said, removing his coat and rolling up his sleeves. Mayumi sighed and turned her head as they prepared everything they needed. Her eyes went wide at the three figures standing there. One was worried out of his mind, one looked like he was preventing himself from rushing to her and help her, and one had an unreadable expression on his face, lacking its signature snarl.

"Oh fuck. I told you to get them out! Why are they still here?!" She yelled at the Manager, sitting up.

"Because getting them out would take time, and I didn't wanna miss your fight." He said, sanitizing his hand. Mayumi just stared at him, torn between disbelief and anger. She just sighed and plopped back to the seat, however her eyes were still open. She continued to stare at the ceiling, before sitting back up again and looking at her classmates.

"Look not a fucking word about this at school," She said, pointing a finger at them. However, she was pushed down to lean back to her chair. "We'll talk later."

The three students were guided to a bench, and they sat down. It took a bit of time, cleaning her face, adding stitches to the cut on her forehead, and icing her jaw, where her molars were a bit loose. The blonde haired aide in Mayumi's team seemed to have a quirk that could, at a molecular level, manipulate calcium.

"Why didn't you apply for U.A.? Your quirk would have been useful then." Midoriya spoke, the moment that he was drowsy enough to feel calm.

"U.A. doesn't have any Medical Course. Besides, I didn't even make it in the written test and all I knew how to do back then was that I could control milk," The female said, chuckling. "But, I went to college, earned a medical degree, became a doctor, and learned that you didn't need to be in the hero course to be a hero." She said, setting Mayumi's molars right.

"That's right. Without her, Yumi's bones here would have been broken and bent 'til now." The Manager said as Mayumi sat up, feeling her jaw.

"Kid, your jaw's gonna be sore for a few days, so you're on a liquid diet. Noodles are okay, but eat at your own risk," The girl said, placing an ice pack over it. "No taking large bites, shouting, or opening it more than two fingers, okay?" She said, and Mayumi nodded. The girl tapped Mayumi on the shoulder before getting her bag. She shook hands with the Manager before she left, along with two o the other aides.

Mayumi felt drained, the adrenaline dying down and she leaned back sighing. That was until she remembered...

"So, care to tell me what kind of sorry excuses you had to make up for you to watch tonight?" She slightly turned her head to look at them, and Midoriya was the first to stand up.

"Are you okay, Yumi?" He asked, going near her, and followed by Iida.

"I've had worse." She mumbled, sitting up straight, wincing as she started to feel the ache in her body seep to her bones. She tried stretching her right arm, and she felt a slight click, and winced.

_Shit, I might have overused it a little._

"Mayumi, what are you thinking?! Don't you know that what you're doing is illegal?!"

_Of course, leave it to Iida to become the mother hen._

"Why'd you have to fucking scold her? She chose to be in this situation, didn't she? She should deal with the shit storms she encounters." Bakugou said, standing up and walking into the light. It was only up close when they saw how bad Mayumi's beating was. She had a stitch on left temple, a cut on her left brow, and a bruise that was blotched all over her cheek to her jaw. She also had a split lip on the same side, and by the looks of it, it was pretty fresh and still bled a little. It was probably when Knuckle Duster slammed her down like a rag-doll.

All in all, she looked like shit.

"Bakugou, I have to, if no one else will," Iida looked at Mayumi with a stern glare. "What you are doing is against the law, Mayumi. And what do you get out of this? A bruised and beat up face, and the possibility of permanent brain damage, or worse, dying?!"

"Money, fame, glory –isn't it like being heroes?" Mayumi asked, letting out a sarcastic laugh. However, none of her classmates found it funny at all.

"None of what your doing is heroic at all, Mayumi. You go against the law and get yourself hurt, for what, for your own personal gain? Mayumi, what you are doing is wrong, and it goes against what heroes should stand for." Iida said, and Mayumi clenched her fists.

Who the hell was he to lecture her about what she should do with her life?

"You don't get a say in what the hell I do in my life, Four Eyes," Mayumi said, standing up and limping towards Iida. She pointed a finger to his chest and pushed him back. Midoriya was alarmed, and immediately went in between them with a futile 'Yumi-san, stop.'

"You're nothing more than a guy I've met a month ago. What the hell do you know about my life, huh? You may be the class whatever, but don't you ever think that I'm a part of your so-called family, alright? 'Cuz it's fucking outrageous, and fucking ridiculous." She said, and Iida looked like his patience was hanging on by a thread. Even Midoriya didn't seem happy about what she said.

"For both of our sakes, Nitta-san, I will let that comment pass," Iida said, after letting out a huff. It was the first time that he called her using her fake-last-name, and Mayumi knew that he was deadly serious. "But do not assume that you know everything about our class." He backed up, and turned to both of his classmates.

"Bakugou, Midoriya, we're leaving." Iida said. Midoriya was torn between staying and following Iida, but Bakugou was outraged by Iida's command.

"Don't tell me what to do, Four Eyes!" He growled, and before there could be another fight, the Manager interjected.

"We'll drive you home," He said, and the four teenagers looked at the old man, who just shrugged.

"Believe me. It's much safer for all of us."

* * *

"Fuck, Bakugou! Get your elbow off my fucking stomach! I'm beaten black and blue, goddammit!"

"It's not my fault you got yourself beaten up by that fuckin' rock!"

To their dismay, the four teenagers had to stay cramped up in the backseat, which resulted to their current situation. Mayumi sat behind the driver's seat, followed by Bakugou, Midoriya, and Iida, who asked to be dropped by the station.

He probably wanted to get out as soon as he can.

Mayumi did, too.

After Mayumi and Bakugou settled their sitting positions, the car was silent once again. Minutes that seemed like a lifetime passed, and Iida was dropped off at the station, sending goodbyes to Midoriya and Bakugou, and saying his thanks to the Manager for the ride to the station. Since they were all in the same neighbourhood, the Manager brought them to their respective homes. During their drive, both U.A. students had a lot of questions going on through their minds.

_Now that we found them out, are they gonna do something to us?_

_**How the hell was she able to bring down that fucking rock?** _

_I wonder why Yumi-san doesn't apply the same drive while studying and training._

_**I need to learn how to fucking do the things she does. I need to beat her, first. No one could stand in my way.** _

_I hope Yumi-san wouldn't forget about this and still sit with us. She's pretty cool._

_**That bitch was probably laughing at me as I trained.** _

They stopped by Midoriya's apartment first, and as Midoriya got out, he paused, and looked as if he was supposed to ask something to Mayumi. However, she had her hear resting on her hand as she looked out of the car window, contemplating with her brows furrowed.

Man did they complicate things for her.

"See you at school, Yumi-san." Was all Midoriya said, before shutting the door of the car. The ride to Bakugou's house was more at ease, since both teenagers resulted to watching the street lamps pass by. However, Bakugou looked to his left to see Mayumi wiping, what seemed to be, tears from her cheek.

_The fuck is she crying for? She won, didn't she?_

"Oi, Shit Face. The fuck are you crying for?" Bakugou grumbled, and Mayumi's frown deepened and more tears seemed to flow down her face.

Where was that woman awhile ago –the one that stood bloody, yet triumphant in her victory?

As much as he hated to admit it, it was probably an image that will forever be etched into Bakugou's mind, and Bakugou couldn't find it in himself to feel angry or envious with her victory. In fact, he wanted to rub it into the faces of his classmates. He wanted to tell them that she hasn't been with them since day one, and yet, she gets to take down big guys like Knuckle Duster.

Was this pride for the girl that has been teacher her for the past weeks? Maybe. Bakugou still wasn't sure.

Before he knew it, they stopped in front of his house. He opened the door without a word, and was about to shut it, when he ducked down to look at Mayumi.

"Shit Face." He called, and Mayumi let out a frustrated sigh.

"Bakugou, I don't want your bullshit." She mumbled, and Bakugou growled.

"Then fine! Cry your fucking eyes, then! You know, even though you won that fight, you're still a freakin' loser for crying like that over this fucking fiasco." He slammed the door shut, the car shaking.

Somehow, it felt as if Knuckle Duster's heavy combat boots slammed to her chest, too.

* * *

Mayumi didn't go to school the next day, nor the day after that.

Iida, Midoriya, and, (secretly) Bakugou waited for Mayumi to come to school, but she didn't show up for a whole week.

"Midoriya, honestly, I think that I might have gone a bit too far in the things that I've said," Iida confessed, when the both of them were walking home from school. It was timely enough that Uraraka decided to hang out with the girls, leaving Iida and Midoriya alone to talk. "It's just that, after the incident with Stain, and Hosu City-... I can't stand any of our classmates making rash decisions that might put their lives in danger."

"Maybe I shouldn't be the one hearing those words, Iida-kun."Midoriya advised.

"I know that, Midoriya. I tried going to Mayumi's apartment, but they wouldn't let me past the gym." Iida said.

"You think she'd be in school next week?" Midoriya asked. "Our classmates might get suspicious if she doesn't show up by next week."

"I hope so, so that I may apologize to Mayumi personally."

But two weeks have passed, and the seat behind Uraraka remained empty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll let this chapter sink in to your minds and hearts for a moment...
> 
> Btw, for those of you who don't know, Knuckle Duster, Pop Step, and that guy who wears that All Might jacket are characters from My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, a spin-off of BNHA. It's a good read, especially if you want more info or background on Aizawa and Mignight, and how Tsukauchi and All Might met. It's set before the events of BNHA, and it's a good read while waiting for Season 4 of BNHA hahaha.
> 
> Anyways, don't hesitate to tell me what you think about this chapter! ^_^
> 
> Thank you for those who left a comments, and especially to those who read, follow, and bookmark this story! I squeal like a girl in love whenever I see someone new leaving a kudos, comment, or adding this story to their bookmarks!


	11. Mayumi vs Bakugou: Round 2

_Say goodbye to our last dance._

_Who knew that heaven could have an end?_

_So together, we let go of each other._

_Together, we let go of our last dance_

* * *

 

It's been a long time since Mayumi listened to this song.

It was a popular song from her country, about a boy and a girl having their last dance. Everybody seemed to dig it, especially when the band that performed that song made an acoustic version of it.

Mayumi didn't like the song –not anymore, at least. To her, it brought her many memories that would be better left forgotten. This song reminded her of a camp she attended with her friends, and with this as one of the many songs that they sang around the bonfire; this was the last song she danced to with her first and last boyfriend in prom night; this was the song that she and her cousins would sing and play to in their cramped up house. Looking back at it, it sounded like good memories.

However, it brought nothing but pain to Mayumi as she blasted it to full volume.

Whenever Mayumi needed to think things through, she always found herself doing either two things: either she'd walk around town from midnight 'til dawn, or she'd stay the whole night in the Dagoba Municipal Beach Park. Truth be told, she was never impressed with the beach park in Dagoba. It was a dump site, and it just shows how people don't want to accept any responsibility that life throws at them. However, A few months ago, during her nightly walks, she found herself taken aback when she saw that it was spotless. Ever since that day, the beach park has become one of her sanctuaries.

So this brings her to her current situation: sitting alone on a small wooden beach port, music in full blast in her earphones, and staring off to the horizon. Besides, the direction she's looking at now was the direction of her home –or what used to be her home.

_Stop thinking about that place. There's nothing to go back to, anymore, goddammit. Haven't you fucking learned?_

Mayumi laid herself down on the wooden floorboards, staring at the stars the peppered the night sky.

Despite how many times she tried to deny it, she still misses her homeland. Despite the fucked up system, the corruption that littered politics, the annoying and stupid people, and the suffocation from the carbon monoxide that polluted her country, it was the little things that made it feel like home. As Mayumi closed her eyes, she envisioned the street wherein she grew up in: a street that littered with trees so big that it seemed to arch over the streets; Then the heavy wooden door that always made a loud scratching sound whenever they tried to open it; the small, but cozy room that she and her parents shared since birth; and the times that her cousin would come home and they'd just slack off, laugh at nothing, and listen to music.

Those were the days that she missed the most: the days wherein she felt like she was never, and would never be, alone.

Mayumi let out a defeated sigh, and opened her eyes once more. She wondered if her relatives thought of her overseas. She wondered if her friends forgot about her, and moved on with new ones (that one, she's quite sure of). She wondered if she would forever be stuck in this country, with no plan to do anything at all.

She wondered where life was leading her, and why does it feel like it's rubbing her face on shit?

"Hey! You there! Are you alright?!"

 _Shit_.

Mayumi knew that voice anywhere.

She immediately sat up and turned to look at the tall figure running at her with, what seemed to be, full speed.

"Young lady, are you hurt?!"

Mayumi scrambled to get up and run away, activating her quirk in order to speed her up a bit. However, it seems that her meagre quirk isn't worth shit compared to the speed of the number one hero.

"Young Nitta! Are you alright?" Mayumi suddenly stopped running and stood still, looking at her feet. Why was she running in the first place? It's not like All Might wanted to hurt her or anything. He was just probably concerned. She then felt his presence behind her, and Mayumi's shoulders went stiff.

"How have you been, young Nitta? We haven't seen you at school for three weeks, now." Mayumi slowly turned to look at All Might, who seemed to frown at the scab on her brow. It's been three weeks since she got beat up by Knuckle Duster, and the bruises and the black eye have disappeared by now. All that was left was a scab on her brow, and on her lips. "Young Nitta, your brow and your lip," He said, pointing at the scar. It was amazing how All Might can look and sound like a dorky father from one second to a stern one in the next. "Have you been in trouble, young Nitta?"

_Shit they're getting suspicious. Well, no shit, not after I've been absent for nearly a fucking month._

Mayumi, instead, just bowed her head and closed her eyes. There's no way she could explain to All Might as to why she was absent for some solid three weeks. If it was Aizawa, then she could still handle it. Although she would receive an extreme verbal beating, Aizawa knew that she often fought in underground leagues, and therefore, she didn't have to explain herself to him.

"I apologize, All Might," She said, her head still bowed. "I will be returning to classes soon, and would not stay absent for long."

_I don't need to explain jack squat. Who the hell is he to care?_

"Young Nitta, look up" Mayumi felt the soft touch of a big hand on her shoulder, and Mayumi froze on her spot. Albeit a bit slowly, she did look up and saw that before her was not a stern teacher, but a genuinely concerned person. "I don't want to know when you're coming back to School. I simply want to know if you are alright. You do know that if you are in any sort of trouble, you can come to us, right? Things in life might be rough for you, young Nitta, but you do know that we would help you no matter what, right?"

Mayumi didn't know what to believe anymore.

She always thought that becoming a hero was such a selfish and fake thing to do. People don't enroll to the Hero Course just because they wanted help people out. Students enrol into the Hero Course because it was cool, and you get to become famous and earn a lot of money. A hero is just a facade for someone else's own personal gain. She knew that. She was convinced that that was how heroes were.

So why is it that with All Might, she felt as if there was no facade –no lie in his intentions.

Mayumi just bowed once more before running back to her apartment.

* * *

 

" _Now, let's look back at the interview with pro hero Hawks, two days ago!"_

_On the television in Mayumi's hospital room appeared a man –the pro hero, Hawks, sitting on a comfy chair with a girl in a black dress sitting on the opposite side. Mayumi could care less about what they had to say. Why were they conducting this interview in the first place, anyway?_

" _So, Hawks, I'll be flashing pictures on our screen here, and you have to tell me the story behind it," The host said, and the pro hero just flashed her a hundred watt smile._

" _Just shoot away!"_

_**What was there to smile about?** _

_Behind the host and Hawks was a picture of Hawks in, what seemed to be, a party, with a woman around his arms. The people behind the picture seemed to be having a good time, and by the looks of it, so did the pro hero._

" _Oh, that! That's pretty recent, huh?"_

_**Recent? Is that where the top heroes usually are? Enjoying the fame and fortune that they earn?** _

" _Change the channel." Mayumi croaked from her hospital bed, and the nurse who was in the room with her. The nurse changed the channel into another one –one that featured another young pro hero who was being interviewed again_

_**Is that what heroes are now?** _

" _Turn it off," Mayumi said, a bit curtly as she felt her chest tightening. She sucked in a long breath, and slowly let it go. "Please." She added, and the nurse just nodded and turned the TV off. Mayumi closed her eyes, feeling sick all of a sudden._

_**Where were they as my parents burned? Where were they to tell me that everything was going to be alright?** _

_**Where the fuck were they when I needed them?** _

* * *

 

"Todoroki Shoto."

"Present."

"Nitta Mayumi."

"..."

It's been three weeks, and Mayumi still hasn't shown up.

Some of her classmates think that she's run off to the next town or so, and is never to return again. Some thought that she joined up with some gang –one even thought that it was as extreme as the Yakuza. Even the three who had witnessed a _glimpse_ of her career have their own doubts if she would even return anymore. With finals coming next week, if Mayumi truly did want to catch up with them, then she'd have a shit ton of studying to do.

_That bitch is a fucking pussy for running the moment that she'd been found out._

Bakugou seethed in his seat just as he heard that damned name.

Mayumi has been absent for three weeks, now. Iida, the class president, tried to give hand outs to her, and Mayumi made it clear that she didn't want to see anyone. That would mean that Mayumi and Bakugou haven't met for training for three weeks, now.

_When I see that bitch, I'm gonna beat her up same way that Knuckle-fuckin'-Duster did. The fuck is she thinking?_

"Absent." Aizawa muttered as he jotted down something on his clipboard.

"Hagakure Toru."

"Present, Aizawa-sensie!"

_SLAM!_

"SORRY I'M LATE, AIZAWA SENSEI!"

Everyone gasped and muttered as Mayumi showed up in front of their door, bowed down while she held out a paper towards their homeroom adviser.

_She's fucking dead come by lunch._

Mayumi yelped as she found herself being wrapped up by Aizawa's binding cloth and pulled towards the center. She gripped the paper that she held in her hand and waved it as best as she can from her side.

"Aizawa-sensei, before you say anything, I secured an excuse letter." She managed to say.

"You have to give a copy to-"

"Principal Nezu, have it signed, and present a copy," Mayumi interjected. "I have the original copy of the letter and the signed copy. I read the handbook." Mayumi muttered the last part. Aizawa snatched the paper that she held in her hand, and thoroughly read it. He looked from the paper to her face, looking closely at the scab wound on her brow and on her lip.

 _Death of a family member, huh?_ Aizawa thought, looking at the excuse letter once more.

"Go back to your seat." He said, releasing Mayumi from the binding cloth, allowing her to silently go back to her seat. Mayumi sat down her seat without a fuzz, bringing out her notebook and her book for the next subject. Mayumi stayed silent and kept her head down, scribbling something on her notebook.

Although it was neither Midoriya, Iida, nor Bakugou who saw the state that Mayumi was in, anyone would know that something was wrong with her.

* * *

 

The moment the bell rang for break time, Mayumi was gone in an instant.

"Hey, you sure Yumi-san's not lying about her quirk?" Sero asked, scratching his head. "She disappears quite quickly."

"Maybe she doesn't want to answer any questions," Kirishima thought. "I mean she's been gone for an awfully long time."

"But did you see the scab on her brow and on her lip?!" Ashido mentioned, a bit too loud, which caused a few heads to turn.

"By the looks of it, it's gonna scar!" Hagakure exclaimed.

"Who cares? It'll look cool on her, anyway!" Kirishima defended.

"Classmates, I think we shouldn't pry too much into Nitta-san's personal business," Iida interjected. However, he lacked the zeal and hand gestures that he usually showed. "Did you ever think that it might make her uncomfortable -the thought that she might have to face these questions from us?"

"Sheesh, we'll back off, then," Sero said, sensing the seriousness in Iida's tone. "Besides, we're also worried about her, you know?"

"She's a grown fuckin' woman," Bakugou growled as he made his way out of the door. "Whatever she decides to do, she knows what's in it for her."

"Eh, Bakugou? So rare of you to give a damn about someone?" Kirishima teased, elbowing her. "She has a boyfriend, you know?" He suddenly found himself being grabbed by the collar, a palm of small explosions right before his face.

"You're looking to die today, Hair-for-brains?"

* * *

 

Mayumi was walking around aimlessly through the halls of U.A..

She didn't know where to go, and she didn't know if she wanted to go somewhere.

She just wanted to think.

It's been three weeks, and she's really behind everything. She has no problem with English. In fact, it was probably the only subject that she gets straight A's on –that, and maybe Modern Literature with Cementos, whenever they discuss any literature that didn't stem from Japan.

She found herself walking in a hallway that seemed unfamiliar to her. It was a series of doors, with clipboards hanging on the outside. Mayumi walked down on the first one, and opened it without even checking the clipboard.

She was taken aback when she saw Todoroki Shouto sitting cross legged inside the dojo, eyes closed and evenly breathing. It was only until she opened the sliding door, when he opened his eyes to look at her.

"Nitta-san." Tokoroki said, and Mayumi awkwardly waved, and gave an apologetic smile.

"Didn't know you were here –I'm just gonna go to another room." Mayumi said, backing off and turning towards the corridor.

"Wait, Yumi!" Although Todoroki must have shouted it, it still sounded soft as hell with his voice. Mayumi turned back around and peeked her head over the open door. "I-... wouldn't mind some company." Was all Todoroki said, and Mayumi shyly smiled.

"You sure about that?"

"It would help me in my concentration if there is the presence of another person with me." He explained, as if it would be obvious. Mayumi closed the sliding door and sat cross legged in front of Todoroki.

"So you're basically saying, you want me here so you could ignore me?" She asked, smirking at Todoroki's confused face.

"Nitta-san, that's not-"

"I'm just messing with you," Mayumi said, smirking as she leaned back. "Go ahead and meditate. I might, too." She said, sitting up straight and placing her hands flat on her lap. She just closed her eyes when Todoroki broke the silence.

"You meditate?" Mayumi hummed yes in response. "You don't seem the type."

Mayumi's eyes snapped open at that, revealing glaring eyes that could match Bakugou's resting bitch face.

"Hey, I may not look the part, but I'm not stupid. I know how to stay calm and clear my head once in a while," Mayumi said with a frown, before closing her eyes again. "Besides, what else am I supposed to do with all my spare time?"

Todoroki seemed like he wanted to answer that question, and continue to ask more.

However, he just closed his eyes, and cleared his head, trying to rid himself of the thoughts of his strange classmate.

* * *

 

Mayumi opened her eyes when she felt someone tap her shoulder.

Honestly, it felt good to not think about anything for a moment.

Mayumi looked up to see Todoroki just looking down at her, a blank expression on his face.

"It's nearly time, Nitta-san." He said, holding out a hand. Mayumi just ignored it and stood up by herself.

"Just call me Yumi, Todoroki-kun." She said, giving him a woozy smile, before walking out of the door. Together, Mayumi and Todoroki walked back to the classroom, neither of them in a hurry to go back.

"Ni-... Mayumi," Todoroki started. "Are you in trouble for something?"

"Maybe... Maybe not. Who knows? I don't really care." She said, looking outside the glass window of U.A., wanting to just jump out and run.

"You should, if you want to be a pro hero." Todoroki said, in what seemed to be his stern voice, as they went down the staircase to their floor.

"Well, pro hero or not, it won't stop me from doing what I want." Mayumi said, looking at her feet as they reached their floor.

"Then what do you want?" Todoroki asked, and Mayumi stopped, turning to look at Todoroki.

"Why the hell are you asking all of this?" Mayumi asked, and Todoroki looked at her with a serious glare.

"You get yourself into trouble, and you say that you don't care about what happens. Yet, if you really wanted to get out of this school, you would have dropped out the moment you felt like it –so a part of you wants to stay."

"Oh, so you think you've read me now, huh?" Mayumi asked, irritated at what Todoroki is saying. "Well, shit, congrats for finally figuring me out –the delinquent of Class 1-A! Whoopee! We're best buddies, now!" Mayumi mocked, her brows furrowed in anger as a heavy sensation sat in her chest.

_What the fuck am I saying to him?_

"Mayumi, I don't care much about what you plan to do with your life, but get yourself sorted, before you start to hurt others around you." Todoroki said, placing his hands inside his pockets.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"For whatever reason, Uraraka-san seems to care about you, and was worried for you, yet you didn't say anything to ease her worry; Iida-kun tries to help you, and yet you push him away over and over again; and Bakugou seems to be more pissed off than usual." Todoroki explains, and this irritated Mayumi even more.

"So this is supposed to be my goddamned fault, is that it?!" _Yes._ "I'm to blame for them caring about me?!" _Yes._

"It's your fault for only thinking about yourself, and not the people who care about you."

 _There are no people who care for me, idiot_.

"Stop being so selfish for one moment, look at the people who actually give a damn about you, and let them help you!" Todoroki scolded, and Mayumi was taken aback. What the hell was Todoroki talking about? She has no idea what the hell possessed Uraraka, Midoriya, anad Iida to fuss over her, but she's sure as hell that explode-boy wouldn't want anything to do with her if she didn't agree to teach him how to fight. She simply couldn't believe that anyone in her class cared for her –not really. Besides, she's been only a student in U.A. for, what, a month or so, and most of the time, she doesn't hang out with her classmates.

If ever she gets kicked out, she knows for sure that none of them would miss her.

The bell run, and it was enough to break Mayumi and Todoroki's heated exchange by the stair case. Without uttering another word, they both turned towards the direction of their classroom and continued to walk silently.

"Hey man," they heard from the hallway. "You talked to her yet?"

"Why the fuck should I?"

It was Bakugou and Kirishima. When Mayumi and Todoroki turned to the hallway of their classroom, they came across the duo, who was coming from the opposite direction.

"Oh hey, Todoroki-kun! Yami-san!" Mayumi rolled her eyes at the nickname. She had a feeling that it was gonna stick with her. The explosive teenager looked up, and it seemed as if his face turned sour when he saw who it was, and who she was with.

_Explodo's probably just itching for a training session._

"How have you been, Yami-san?" Kirishima asked, hooking an arm around her as they walked to the classroom. Mayumi just shoved it off. "We've been worried."

Mayumi looked away, and she swore that she saw Todoroki shot her a look.

"It's nothing," Mayumi said, shrugging. "Just some stuff I had to take care of." But Mayumi couldn't ignore the way Kirishima eyed the scabs on her lip and her brow. She knew that he knew that something was up.

"Whatever you say, man," Kirishima shrugged, smiling at her. "It's just good to have you back again."

But was she really back?

* * *

 

The bell rang for dismissal, and Mayumi decided to just up and go once again.

"Oi, Shit-face!"

Mayumi decided to ignore the hothead, and to grab her bag and continue walking. Once she got out of the room, she quickened her pace, hoping that she could outrun –or in this case, outwalk, the explosive blonde teenager.

"Shit-face!" She could hear from the hallway, but Mayumi kept her head down and turned right to the starcase.

"MAYUMI!" Mayumi stopped in her tracks. Never in her life had she heard Bakugou call her by her full name, and it sounded so foreign to her ears. It was all Bakugou needed to catch up to her by the staircase. She turned to face him when he caught up with her, and her eyes met his angry ones.

"What the hell's gotten into you, huh?!" He exclaimed. "What the hell's gotten into you?"

"Nothing's going on with me, so just leave me be, goddamit!" Mayumi argued, and she was about to leave, when Bakugou jumped down to where she was, and grabbed her arm.

"Then why are you acting like a goddamn pussy?" Bakugou asked, pulling her towards him to prevent the raven haired girl from escaping. "You're acting like you didn't beat the shit out of Knuckle-fuckin'-Duster last-"

"SHHHHH." Mayumi found herself using her quirk to pin Bakugou to the wall, covering his mouth with her hand. She looked around, her eyes wide in panic, and gave him a death glare when she realized that no one was around to hear what Bakugou said. Out of everyone in the class, Bakugou was the one who she spent the most time with. She trained him, the same way he tried to help her out with her school, especially in Math class. He helped her, even just a bit, pass in some of her classes.

She owes him some form of an explanation, after the fiasco at the UFR.

"Look, you wanna fucking argue and talk about shit, then fine." Mayumi said, feeling Bakugou's frustrated breath on her hand.

"Just not here."

When Mayumi released Bakugou, he got his things, and ditched a hang out with Kirishima and Kaminari to go to the train station with Mayumi.

Together, they rode the train in silence, until they arrived at their station. They walked a bit, until they reached Mayumi's building, and silently, she lead him upstairs. She didn't hear him complain about the five flights of stairs that they had to climb just to get to her apartment. When they got there, the first thing she heard when she opened the door to the rooftop were the angry barks of a Dobberman. Baby had her teeth bared at the both of them, saliva dripping from the consecutive loud barks that the pregnant dog threw at them.

"Fucking shit!" She heard Bakugou yelp behind her, and she just knows that he jumped back at that. If the air between them weren't heavy, she would have laughed at that.

"Shut up!" Mayumi shouted at her dog, before it stopped and sat down. Again, Mayumi would have laughed at the situation –Bakugou scared shitless, her dog trying to act tough while sitting straight, but actually looking like a bloated dog due to her pregnant belly, Mayumi would have lost her shit over all of this.

Instead, Mayumi just patter her dog's head and went inside her apartment, motioning for both Bakugou and Baby to come in. Mayumi settled her bag on the kitchen counter, and she started to remove the many bangles that she wore on her wrist, placing all of them at a small plate on the coffee table.

"You want tea, or soda?" Mayumi asked, opening her small refrigerator and rummaging through it.

"I came here to talk, idiot."

"Then start talking, idiot." She said, closing the door to the refrigerator ad looking at the blonde hotshot.

"Fine then," Bakugou said, shoving his hands in his pockets. "What the fuck is wrong with you?" Bakugou asked, and Mayumi shrugged her eyes and tilted her head to the side, leaning on the island counter

"I don't know what you mean by that."

"You've been gone for three fucking weeks, idiot," Bakugou stated, as if it weren't obvious. "You've been avoiding me, Four Eyes, and fucking Deku; you don't show up for training, and you show up with that fucking Half 'N Half!" Bakugou listed.

"What the fuck is happening to you? It's like you don't have a fucking plan with your life!"

"Okay, first off, nothing happened with Todoroki-kun, so don't even bother saying what you're thinking," Mayumi explained, and Bakugou arched a brow at her, as if calling bullshit on what she said. "Second, have you seen how Knuckle Duster fucked my face up?! I couldn't exactly walk in Recovery Girl's office without an explanation to that, genius. I had to heal the bruises the long way."

"Still doesn't explain why you've been avoiding us –avoiding me."

Why has she been avoiding them?

Did she feel ashamed that her classmates had to see the brutal things she did? Did she try to avoid them because they saw a part of her that she wasn't ready to be shown to them? Or maybe she avoided them because she wasn't sure if she owed them an explanation as to why she does the things she does?

If that was the case, why the hell did she let Bakugou in her house to talk in the first place?

"I don't know." Mayumi admitted, and she heard Bakugou scoff.

"Then you're a fucking pussy. You don't deserve that fucking rank." Bakugou said, and the bite of his words reached Mayumi's heart, gripping it tightly.

"What the hell did you say?" Mayumi asked, and Bakugou walked closer to where she stood, slamming his fist on her counter top.

"If you're gonna act like a fucking pussy and hide the fact that you're the rank two in a league fight, then you don't deserve the spot."

Mayumi was seething. How dare he say that as if he knew the shit she's gone through.

"Look, I didn't drag you here to insult me in my own fucking home." Mayumi growled. But what the hell was she expecting from him? He'd give her a pep talk, or probably go easy on her? This was Bakugou-fuckin'-Katsuki! He was Explodo-boy, the King Explosion Murder, and the guy who has got no chill! He doesn't give pep talks, and given that she's been depriving him of their weekly training sessions for her own personal needs, he's probably pissed off. However, she wasn't going to let him just do whatever he wanted. He might have seen her career, but she decided to let him in her own house, because maybe –just maybe, she trusted him enough.

"If you're expecting for a fucking praise, you're not getting one 'til you stop acting like a fucking pussy, and start facing the shit that hit the fan!"

"And how, exactly, huh?! I can't exactly go in the class and shout that I'm a fucking underground fighter. Do you know what the hell would happen if anyone found out about what I did?!" Mayumi exclaimed, her finger pointing to herself.

"You knew that joining the league was illegal in the first place, didn't you? So if you love it so much, then face it with fucking dignity!" Bakugou yelled, and Mayumi could feel tears sting in the corner of her eyes.

_He doesn't get it. How can I make him understand? I can't get shipped back to that monster household. I'd rather die in a league fight here than go back to the hands of that crazy old bat._

But Mayumi doesn't know if she was ready to tell him all of that –not yet, at least. Not when they're both angry like this, and they're at the peak of their emotions.

"Get out." Mayumi ended up saying. Even though he acted like an ass, Mayumi had to admit that she liked spending time with Bakugou, and she'd rather end this exchange now, rather than both of them saying hurtful words to each other.

"We're not done until you stop acting like a fucking pussy and running away from everything."

"No, we're done here! Get out of my house!" Mayumi exclaimed, circling the counter, grabbing Bakugou's arm, and dragging Bakugou to the door. However, he ended up shoving her away, her grip on his arm coming loose as she stumbled back, her ass hitting the floor. They both looked at each other, one with a flash of worry on his face, and the other with a look of shock. For a fleeting moment, the tension between them was gone, and it was back in a snap, thicker than before.

"I can get out by myself," Bakugou muttered, picking up his bag from the floor. "If you're so fucking undecided about yourself, don't even bother coming back to U.A.. It won't do you any good." He muttered, before leaving her house, slamming the door in his wake.

Mayumi decided to let out everything she's been holding in to the silent sobs that wracked her body.

What Bakugou said earlier was true, but it was only until now when she'd realized it.

She didn't know where her life was headed. She was stranded in a country that she didn't know, fighting league fights for what? What does she gain out of winning her fights? She wants to beat up the person, sure, but after that? What if she finally gets the top spot, and she gets overthrown by a younger, faster rookie? Her career would be over, the government would find her, and she'd go to jail, or get deported back to her country. Then what? What was all of this for?

It was the question that rang throughout Mayumi's four walls as she silently sobbed on the floor of her lonely apartment.

* * *

 

Bakugou didn't know why he said all of those things.

When he saw Mayumi's fight in the UFR, he remembered the unsettling sensation that he felt in his chest –like it was being gripped tight. He hated to admit it, but it still bothered him now, especially when he felt it again. He felt it when he saw Mayumi enter the classroom today; He felt it grip his chest tighter when he saw her walking in the hallway with that Half 'N Half; and he felt like suffocating when he said his last words to her.

Why the fuck did he say all of those things?

He wanted to tell her that it was about time that she came to school, and that he'd help her catch up with everything she missed if he'd be able to kick her ass in training. He wanted to tell her that they should stay up until night just to catch up with their training. He wanted to tell her that he wanted to go back to that coffee shop again, because damn, the coffee was good.

He wanted to tell her that she wasn't half bad in her fight with Knuckle Duster, and she actually did good. However, we don't always get what we want. Instead of saying all of those things to her, he spat out those useless shit at her, scared that she'd quit being a fighter just because she's been found out. Heck, he was loathe to admit that she was better than her, because she had fought more people than him, and won.

She was good at what she does, and Bakugou wanted to tell her that she was pretty cool.

Walking down the building, Bakugou kicked the wall of the staircase in frustration, before plugging in his earphones, drowning out the regrets that rang through his mind

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is so late, and I hope this would somehow make up for it :( A lot of shit's been going down in life, and I've been a bit busy and soooo sooo drained for the past two weeks. Don't worry, cuz I ain't leaving this fic to die. This is gonna have three story arcs, and the first one would cover around 40 chapters. Then the second one would be around thirty or more, and the last one would be around thirty or more, too! I've got lots of heartbreak, fluff, and a shitload of character development prepared for Mayumi and Bakugou, and I can't wait to share it with you!
> 
> Thank you so much, guys, for all the comments, bookmarks, and the kudos that you guys left! Don't be shy to leave a comment, because I love answering questions, and answering comments! You guys are my rocket fuel!!!


	12. Mayumi vs Finals: Round 1

" _Ma... Why was I named Mayumi?"_

" _It's because when you were a baby, you were sickly," Her mother said from across the room as she sewed a patch on one of her worn out jeans. "You're grip was so gentle that we hardly felt it. Besides, we always had to be gentle with you –you were so fragile."_

_**Really, huh?** _

" _When I get old, I'm gonna change my name." Mayumi said, her legs resting against the wall as she was lazily sprawled on the bed._

" _And what made you say that?" Her mother said, her voice suddenly stern, as she placed down the pair of jeans that she held to look at her daughter."You have a beautiful name! I gave that name to you. Doesn't that mean anything to you?"_

_Her mother had a point. Her name was a gift given to her by her parents, and it was something that she should hold on to. However, there was something wrong with her name. It doesn't fit her. In her whole life, she couldn't remember all of the vases, antiquities, laptops, phones, and other things that she had broken in her household, along with the discovery of her quirk. All she could remember were the disappointed looks and the tense talks that everyone gave her. With her and her parents living in the same house with other various relatives, this obviously caused tension between their family, and her._

" _I'm anything but gentle."_

_She was fucking useless._

_**I destroy everything I hold.** _

* * *

Mayumi looked at her phone as it rung for, what probably felt, like the twelfth time this morning.

Four of them were from Uraraka, one from Midoriya, one from Iida, and six from Kirishima. All of them left voicemails that said the same thing.

'Nitta-san, where are you? Please don't be late in this very important day! It's our finals, Nitta-san, and you do know how this is an essential step in our journey into becoming a hero!'

'Yumi-san, where are you? Please pick up. Uraraka-san's been calling you, and you haven't been picking up. If this was about that night when Kacchan, Iida-kun, and I watched your fight, we're really sorry. We can talk about it, if you want. Please come back to school.'

'Yumi, I'm calling so you won't run late! It's finals today! I'm so excited and scared at the same time!'

'Yumi, you have ten minutes before the written exams start! Please hurry up!'

'Yamiii! Where are you, dude? Uraraka-san's been going around, asking if anyone could call you or something. Just make sure that you make it to the finals, 'kay? See ya later, Yami-san!'

'Yumi, I can see the teachers getting out of the faculty with the exam papers! Run, girl!'

'Yamiiii, answer the phone, or the next message will be Bakugou blaring through your speakers!'

'-UCK DO YOU WANT, HAH?! DON'T DISTURB ME, HAIR FOR BRAINS!'

'Yumi, please pick up. I'm starting to get worried!'

'Yami, are you alright? Bakugou probably ruined your speakers, so I'm sorry about that. But seriously, dude, are you alright?'

'Yami, please pick up. People are starting to get worried.'

'Yami, if you don't pick up the phone, I'm going to have Bakugou find you and pick it up for you!'

"Tch, fuck-shit." Mayumi muttered as she sat and swung her legs over the ledge of the roof top. It was nine in the morning, and she basked in the morning sun, her head leaning back as she closed her eyes.

_Fuck, what the hell am I gonna do with my life?_

Mayumi let out a frustrated sigh –a breath that she didn't know that she's been holding for a long time. Usually, around this time, classes would have already started. She'd either be having at this time, while learning all about Japanese literature, or internally laughing at the struggle her classmates had at English class. Then, she'd eat with Midoriya and Uraraka, or get dragged towards Kirishima's table, forcing herself to sit across or beside Bakugou. She'd then go back to class, as if she didn't have to prepare for a fight that was practically illegal, and could get her deported back to her country, given that she makes even just a minute mistake.

Now, she has nothing to do. In fact, during the three weeks that she's been absent, she often found herself skimming through the textbooks that she had, and taking notes in advance.

She was really getting caught up in being a student again, wasn't she?

Mayumi dangled her feet, looking at the sidewalk from five stories above, sighing in defeat. No, she didn't want to jump –she would if there was a bouncy house waiting for her below. She just felt like she could focus more as she looked at the people that passed below her feet. With everything going on in her life, focus was what she needed now.

"Yumi!" Mayumi felt her heart jump out of her chest, and if she didn't grip the brick railing hard enough, she felt as if she'd follow, too. It was that damned old man. "How many times did I tell you to stop sitting on that damn ledge! Yer gonna fall off, or somethin'!"

Mayumi swung her legs back to the roof top, and got off the ledge, shoving her hands into the pockets of her purple checkered pyjamas.

"If you startle me like that, I just might," Mayumi muttered, crossing her arms and walking towards her door. She knew what the Manager was going to say, and she didn't know if she was ready to answer what the hell it was he was about to ask. "You know, you need to get laid! You're too uptight about shit! You're such a fucking loner, you know that?"

"Hey, get back here, brat," The Manager said, and for some reason, Mayumi stopped in front of her door. "Why aren't you in school? Isn't it your finals?"

_What use is studying when I have nowhere to go?_

"The hero course is for fucking pussies," Mayumi grumbled, feeling her stomach drop. She felt like throwing up. She knew that she was telling the truth –at least in the context of what she believed in-, but she also felt as if she was lying, too. "There's no point in me becoming a hero."

There was a brief silence between the both of them, before either of them spoke.

"Yumi, come with me."

* * *

She's only been in the Manager's apartment once, and it was only for a brief moment.

She was asking for a toolbox, since she needed to repair the roof in her apartment. The door was open, and she thought that she could just let herself in. The Manager fell asleep watching television, and when he woke up, he kicked her out, throwing a toolbox at her. Even as he took her in, he never allowed her inside his apartment. When she got discharged from the hospital, he brought her to a park, and asked her who she was, what happened to her, and what did she plan to do with her life. It was after that trip to the park, when the Manager brought her back to this very building, and handed her a pillow and a sleeping bag.

" _You'll sleep here for the night,"_ Was what he said. _"Rest. Then decide what you want to do tomorrow. You can either stay here, let me help you build a life of your own, or you can decide to turn yourself in tomorrow, and go back to where you're from."_

The answer was obvious, for Mayumi, and three years later, here she was.

Mayumi looked around the apartment, and she wouldn't believe that a seventy year old alcoholic resided in there. In all honesty, one wouldn't imagine that a rich guy lived here. With the money that he earns from her fights, this apartment, and the many other unknown businesses that the Manager handles, he's got wealth that would last him two lifetimes –that's how rich he was, and that was how he was known in the underground as the Manager.

But in all the three years she's spent with him, she never heard him talk about a family, or even a long lost love that he's looking for. He never tells her anything personal, and she never cared for it. He was the man that saved her, and took her in –she would like to remember him as the man that she knows him to be, and not the man that he was.

However, sometimes, Mayumi couldn't help but get curious.

All of Mayumi's questions were answered when she saw a picture of a beautiful woman on a counter, with incense, candles, and what seemed to be fresh flowers beside the picture.

"She's beautiful." Mayumi said, stopping in front of the altar, sitting in front of it and paying her respects.

"Beautiful won't cut it." The Manager grumbled, sitting beside Mayumi, staring at the picture with unreadable eyes –albeit a bit soft.

"I didn't know you had a wife." Mayumi said, and the Manager huffed.

"It's not something that I'd like to remember." He said, and Mayumi felt her heart ache for this old man. All this time, she thought that he was grumpy because he was alone, and never had someone he cared about. She never thought that the reason that he always drank and was always so crass was because he was trying to forget someone that was always going to be a part of him.

Mayumi and the Manager sat in silence, both of them just looking at the picture of the woman, and her soft smile. In the picture, she had her hair down in a wavy mess, a shy smile on her face as she looked at the camera.

"She might look like the typical shy-type woman, but she's the exact opposite," The Manager suddenly said, breaking the silence. "Brought her to a festival on our first date, and got her shouting and yelling at all of the games we tried. She wins in drinking games, and could that girl hold her liquor." The Manager let out a small chuckle, the corner of his lips curling to form a proud smirk.

"She's smart, too," The Manager said. "Got a scholarship in London for college, and she took it. It was when she stayed away for a month was when I realized that I loved her."

Mayumi looked at her lap, not knowing how to react at this sudden revelation. The Manager was a private guy, and this was the most that he'd shared to her in the three years that she's been living in his care.

"She was perfect," The Manager admitted, letting out a huff, before opening his flask and taking a swig from it. "She even gave birth to a perfect daughter."

"Nakamura-kun," Mayumi never used the Manager's real name, and the name felt foreign on her lips. "You have a daughter?" The Manager just wiggled his eyebrows before taking another swig from his flask.

"Where is she now?"

The Manager didn't say anything. He simply took out his wallet, and held out a picture towards her. It was a simple family picture –the Manager was sitting on a chair, with a baby on his lap, and beside him was a woman that looked exactly like his wife –except Mayumi knew that it couldn't be his wife, since the Manager already had wrinkles on his face in the picture. She could guess that the woman beside him was his daughter.

"The woman beside me is my daughter, Anzu" The Manager said, pointing at the pretty lady beside him. "The baby is my granddaughter, Hina." He simply said, and Mayumi smiled at the goofy smile on the baby's face.

"How old is she, now?" Mayumi asked, handing back the picture.

"Nine." He said, placing the picture back in his wallet.

"Cool, she must be studying now." Mayumi said, trying to keep the topic light. However, one look at the Manager's face, and she knew that something was wrong –she hit a sore spot.

"She would be, if she wasn't stuck in a hospital."

Mayumi fell silent. _What the fuck?_

"Stage three, leukaemia," The Manager explained, not blinking an eye. "Anzu doesn't want anything to do with me, and keeps me from visiting Hina."

"Nakamura-kun," Mayumi said, reaching out to touch his arm. Usually, he'd shrug any sign of affection off, but this time, he sat still. "I'm sorry, I didn't-"

"Bah, I didn't want anyone to know," The Manager said, waving his hand in dismissal. "Once people in our line of business know that you have a heart, they'd take advantage of it. That's why I don't want anyone knowing shit about my life."

"Mayumi, I don't want you to waste your life away, like me," The Manager started. "This thing that we're stuck in –the underground fights, and the illegal money, you could walk away from it now, while you still have a chance."

"And do what, become a hero?" Mayumi asked, standing up. "Bullshit! I'm not fit enough to be a hero!"

"Says who, your failing grades, your classmates, that blonde idiot?"

"Says sixteen years of breaking and destroying everything I hold! My fucking quirk is not meant to save or heal people –it's meant for breaking things! Even if I want to be a hero, everything I am screams out no!" Mayumi exclaimed, pointing at herself, her body shaking as tears fell down on her cheek.

"I'm not good enough. I can't help anyone, not even myself."

Mayumi hung her head low, silently sobbing. She froze as she felt a hand rest upon her shoulder.

"Bullshit," She heard the Manager mutter. "You don't know this, Yumi, but ever since you decided to step up to that ring, you're doing something more than beating people up –you've been saving a life."

"The money you earn from your fights? It all goes to Hina." He said, and Mayumi looked at the old man.

"What?" Mayumi sniffled, rubbing her eyes.

"Every fight that you win –even when you lose, all of the money that I get from those fights all goes to Hina." The Manager said as he started kneeling down, albeit with a bit difficulty.

"Nakamura-kun, don't-"

"Mayumi," He said, hunching over as best as his old age allows him, his forehead touching the floor. "I do not give you enough credit for the help that you have given to me –for everything that you have done for my granddaughter."

"Nakamura-san," Mayumi said, falling to her knees, looking at the old man kneeling on the floor. "I haven't done anything."

"That's where you're wrong, Yumi." The Manager said, sitting up, placing a hand on Mayumi's shoulder.

"What you're doing is everything to me." The Manager said, pulling her close and wrapping his arms around her.

"You are Hina's hero –my hero. I'd be damned if I'd let you spiral down in the shitty world we got ourselves into."

* * *

Although Mayumi still had stuff to figure out, the talk with the Manager was enough for her to grab her hero costume, and run to school.

She still didn't know what it was that she wanted to do with her life. She didn't know if she's want to go down the path of the Fighting League, or, God forbid, become a hero. However, after knowing that everything she did was helping a sick little girl get better, it was as if she didn't feel so dismayed in being in the hero course anymore.

After their heart to heart talk, Mayumi went back to her apartment and went to her phone. Thank God for the internet, because she was able to search for a few of the many benefits of pro heroes, and one of them was guaranteed health care for the hero –and whoever name she writes on her contract. When Mayumi saw that, she took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and released it.

If she was going to waste her life chained to something she doesn't want to do, might as well help someone out along the way.

Mayumi doesn't know how many traffic violations she had that afternoon, but she'd be damned if she'd miss the physical examination and flunk out of U.A.. When she burst through the doors of her classroom, she was a heaving mess of sweat and tears, her lungs about to burst.

"I'm-... sorry-... I'm –HAH! Late!" Mayumi wheezed out, knees hunched over as she felt her knees go wobbly. She looked up to see her classmates, some of them laughing, and some of them shocked.

"Yumi-san, you're late!"

_No shit!_

"You missed the written exam!"

"I'll take a make-up exam." Mayumi panted, walking to her desk, and slamming her bag down.

"Yumi!" She heard a squeal, before she was tackled by a pair of arms. She looked to see a mop of brown locks just below her chin. "You weren't answering the phone, and I thought something bad happened to you!"

Mayumi awkwardly patted Uraraka's back, and tried to pry the brunette off of her.

"Sorry," Mayumi said. "My phone died in the middle of the night, and the alarm didn't go off."

"Even I've never overslept that much." She heard Kaminari said, laughing a bit. Mayumi rolled her eyes and just flipped him off, before she got the brunette to get off of her.

"Yami! You're here!" She heard. She turned her head to the door, and saw Kirishima walking towards her, his hand held high for what Mayumi presumes is a high five.

Somehow, she didn't hesitate to stick her palm out, Kirishima slapping it loudly.

"Got me a bit worried there, dude!"

When she saw Kirishima's toothy grin, it was as if yesterday never happened –it was as if the heavy burden on her chest was lifted, even just a bit.

_He's a fucking ball of sunshine. Bakugou doesn't deserve to be his friend._

"Yumi-san, we'll finally be able to see your costume!" Uraraka exclaimed, picking up Mayumi's costume case.

"Drop that 'san'," Mayumi muttered, blushing a bit. "You started calling me by my name, so it's okay if you drop it."

"Oh, I didn't notice, sorry." Uraraka apologized, scratching the back of her head.

"Come on, Yumi," Uraraka said, grabbing Mayumi by the hand, and grabbing her own costume case. "Let's go to the locker room! The others are already there!"

Mayumi smiled as she let herself get dragged along by the brunette.

If there was anything that she missed in this class, it was that being with her classmates made her feel like a regular teenager again.

* * *

Mayumi didn't want to go out of the locker room.

Not because of the fact that she felt as if taking the exam was the wrong choice. Although Mayumi has no clear goal in mind, Mayumi was quite sure that she wanted to take and pass the exam –just to ease the Manager's worries.

It was her damn costume that made her reluctant to step out of the locker room.

"There's nothing wrong with it, Yumi," Uraraka said, grinning at her. "You look great!"

Mayumi did not feel like she looked great. She felt _exposed_.

Like what she did in all her fights, her black hair was tied in two braids, with her hair being too short to tie it in one. Although she only wore a sports bra and nylon shorts during her fights in the UFR, that was different –it felt like her second home. And besides, her shorts weren't tight fitted.

 _This one is_.

Whoever made her costume must think that skin tight things are attractive as hell, and wasn't thinking of the wearer's comfort _at all_.

 _Whoever made this outfit must have their head in the fucking clouds_.

"Mayumi-san, let's go!" She heard a polite voice say –it was most likely Yaoyorozu. "We might be late for the practical exam."

"Come on, Yumi!" Uraraka said, taking the tanned skinned girl by the hand. "You look great, and you're going to do even better!"

"Wait, I forgot something." Mayumi said, going back to her locker to open the costume case. When Midnight gave her a sketch for her costume design, Mayumi spent two hours staring at it, thinking of what it is that she wanted in her costume. As a UFR fighter, she never really thought of putting in flashy designs –as long as it was comfortable to wear. However, given that this was a hero costume, she knew that simply wearing a sports bra, nylon shorts, and smearing silver face paint on her won't do. She'd have to look like someone to be remembered by, without forgetting who she really was –the Iron Lady.

Mayumi grabbed the black eye mask, with silver linings for the design –an imitation of her "war paint", as the Manager puts it.

She might be a bit more willing to study in the Hero Course, but she would not lose sight of what she truly was, even though she wasn't sure if that is what she wanted.

"Yumi-san, you look rockin'!" Mina complimented when Mayumi caught up with the class.

"You look ready to fight! So manly, Yami!"

"Er-, thanks." Was all Mayumi said as she scratched the back of her head in embarrassment.

"You ready for the Practical Exam, Yami?" Kirishima asked, hooking an arm around Mayumi's shoulders. She just crossed her arms and shrugged. Was she ready? No. She couldn't really say, since no one's been saying anything about how the practical exams are going to go. Was she confident? Maybe. As long as Mayumi gets near to whoever she was fighting, she has a high chance of gaining the upper ground

"Eh. I'll just wing it. How hard could it be?"

* * *

Mayumi was wrong. She could not wing it.

It was fucking impossible.

"What the fuck!"

Mayumi stared at the large viewing screen in the surveillance room where she and Midoriya were watching the exam of Kirishima and Sato. She looked, jaw hanging, at her two classmates, punching their way out of the walls that Cementos was creating.

_This is fucking crazy._

"We're supposed to fight teachers?!" Mayumi exclaimed out loud. "Even with handicaps, they don't look handicapped at all to me! They seem just as strong!"

"While it is true that the difference in power and skill is great, it will be no different when we work as pro heroes," Midoriya muttered. "We'll be facing villains and opponents with quirks that might be stronger than hours. This whole first year's training is about us quickly adapting to the situations we face."

_Right. And I've been gone for more than half of the semester. Just great. Might as well drop out now._

"Midoriya," Mayumi said, looking at the screen as the attack on both of her classmates were relentless. "What can you tell me about Ectoplasm?"

"He's your opponent?" He asked, and Mayumi nodded. "You're grouped with Tsuyu-chan and Tokoyami-kun?"

"No, er-... I'm facing him alone."

"What?!"

"Yeah... I have to make up with the practical exams and tests I missed on the first half of the semester."

_So it's either-_

"So you either pass or flunk out, don't you?" Mayumi just let out a frustrated huff, crossing her arms.

It's what she deserved, if one were to ask her. She's often been late, and took more absences than she's supposed to. She wasn't sure if she intentionally did it or not, but she never felt a twinge of guilt or worry from being late or absent.

However, after the talk with the Manager, it felt as if this fight was another one of her fights in the UFR –she can't risk losing in this fight.

As Mayumi watched her classmates get knocked out by Cementos, for the first time in U.A., she felt fear grip her heart. Everyone she faced so far were just amateurs –even she was just an amateur. These people were trained professionals –she couldn't stand a chance against them.

"Yumi," She heard from beside her. "I hope this might help you."

Mayumi turned to look at Midoriya, holding out a burnt and worn out notebook towards her. She took it, reading the hand written kanji in front: Hero Analysis for Future Purposes No. 13.

"What's this?"

"On page seventeen, I wrote an analysis on Ectoplasm. I hope it could help you out with your exam." He said, and Mayumi flipped open the page, scanning the various drawings and hand writings on the notebook. She felt herself smile at how Midoriya was able to put everything down to detail, and how dedicated he was in this line of business. However, she couldn't notice the smudges, from what seemed like water, and the burn marks that littered the pages.

"May I ask what happened?"

"Oh, er... That's nothing, don't mind that. It was just some accident back in Aldera." Midoriya said, scratching the back of his head. Mayumi wasn't dumb, though. She knew that Bakugou and Midoriya weren't the best of friends, and that for some reason, Bakugou hated Midoriya to the core (which was stupid, because how could anyone hate Midoriya, in all his innocence?).

"Hey," Mayumi said, tapping Midoriya's arm. "Whatever shit anyone told you before, forget about them." Said, giving him a smile.

"You're going to be greater than they will ever be... I just know it.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I apologize for a rather sloppy chapter. A classmate of mine recently died, finals are coming up, and I haven't really been thinking straight. I dunno. She wasn't really a close friend, but it's startling to see a person laughing one day, and find her gone from the world the next day.
> 
> Seriously, guys, if you guys have problems, please tell them to someone. You can PM me, if you feel like you can't tell anyone you personally know. My PM is always open for you, guys. It's better to let them out (like crying, shouting, or even punching your bed) rather than keeping it to yourself and letting all those negative emotions build up within you. I swear. Punching and shouting on your bed helps a lot.
> 
> Anyways, thank you so much for the comments and kudos that you guys left! Really means a lot to me! ^_^


	13. Mayumi vs Finals: Round 2

"This is fucking crazy."

Mayumi stared at the screen as she stared with jaw hanging at the live streaming of Tsuyu and Tokoyami's exam against Ectoplasm, their math teacher.

_This is a fucking gang fight –do they really think that I'm a delinquent like that?_

Mayumi may be an underground fighter, and may have been a brawler in her earlier days in Japan, but that does not mean that she goes around to fight in gang fights alone. She wasn't that hardcore. She knew how to pick her fights, and she knew that fighting a bunch of people on your own wasn't as great as it looks like in the movies. Not unless you've been trained really well in the way of Martial Artes.

"I think you can handle Ectoplasm-sensei. If you can't catch him, you can always escape through the gate, Yumi-san."

"Midoriya, I told you to drop the formalities. You can just call me Yumi, y'know –or whatever it is you wanna call me. Kirishima doesn't seem to care about that kind of stuff anyways."

"Ah –sorry, I forgot." Midoriya said, shrugging his shoulders and sending the fighter a smile. Mayumi watched intently at the screen as she tried to analyze how Ectoplasm's clones attacked.

_He's got peg legs, obviously, and I've never seen him use his arms, so he's mostly kicks._

"Yumi-sa-... Yumi, after seeing your fight, I'm sure that Ectoplasm-sensei's exam would be a piece of cake for you, " Midoriya said, and Mayumi plastered a smirk and let out a sarcastic scoff. "You're strong, Yumi. You can pass this exam."

"Thank you, Midoriya," Mayumi said, before letting out a sigh and looking at the green haired boy. "Also, I'm sorry you had to see that –y'know, _that_ night."

Midoriya just gave her an approving smile.

"It was no trouble, _Yumi_ - _chan,_ " Midoriya said, and Mayumi felt her heart grow warm at the term of endearment. "I was happy to see you fight. It's inspiring to see you fight. It makes me motivated to do better, since it made me realize that I still lack a lot in close combat."

Happy.

Inspiring.

Motivated.

Mayumi never made anyone feel any of those words, and hearing it first from this boy made it feel like winning her first fight in the UFR –it felt as if it was the start of something good.

"Midoriya... I'm going to do my best in this exam, and you should, too, even if you're partnered with Kacchan." Mayumi said, a determined look on her face.

"Failure is not an option."

_Two more, and I'm up next._

She didn't fail to watch each and every one's exam, especially Uraraka's exam. As much as she was nearly against the idea of creating friends in U.A., Uraraka found a way to worm herself into Mayumi's list of people who she could care about, and it was a rather short list. Throughout her whole stay in U.A., Uraraka never showed a hint of malice or farce in her bubbly attitude, and she always seemed to care for Mayumi's well-being. People who would even give two shits about her is worthy enough to be in that list. The moment Uraraka came into the room, Mayumi congratulated her friend (?) for a successful exam, and was greeted with a: "Gee, thanks, Yumi-chan! I bet you're gonna do great in yours, too!"

_She's such a ball of fucking sunshine._

However, Mayumi didn't watch the exams only for the sake of watching out for her classmates' wellbeing. Just by watching the physical exams, she was also learning as much as she can. If cramming a physical exam was possible, then this was probably it. Mayumi missed nearly more than half a semester's worth of Foundational Hero Studies with All Might, and even though she had supplementary classes, it felt as if it were cramming a handful of clothes to a full closet. It was simply information overload. She doesn't know any more than what she has learned so far in close combat training, and the things that Midoriya has told her just a while ago.

_Make sure to have minimal damage to the surrounding areas._

_Take a good look of your surroundings first, before attacking._

_Analyze the weak and strong points of your opponent, and make sure that it aligns with yours._

_The battle is not over until you either get out, or capture and secure the villain._

Mayumi stared at the large screen with the live streaming of Mineta and Sero's exam with Midnight, and it was when she felt her nerves starting to work its way to the tip of her fingers, and Mayumi knew that this was all but good news. She needed air, and fast.

* * *

While the others were predisposed of watching their classmates' exams, Mayumi made her way out of the control room, and decided to head to the waiting room of her exam building.

_Which way out again? Right... Then Left... Then third hallway to the rig-_

"Oof –hey, ya lookin' for a fight, shit-face?!"

Mayumi just stared at the owner of the chest which she unintentionally slammed her face with, and she was shaken out of her reverie after realizing who it was.

"Oh, it's you." Mayumi said, suddenly feeling awkward.

"Finally decided to stop being a pussy then, huh?" Bakugou asked. At first, Mayumi was confused as to what he was trying to say. With everything that happened to Mayumi, and with all the thinking that she's been doing, she barely remembered her dispute with Bakugou the previous day, right before she lost her shit and nearly had an existential crisis.

_**If you're gonna act like a fucking pussy and hide the fact that you're the rank two in a league fight, then you don't deserve the spot.** _

_**If you love it so much, then face it with fucking dignity!** _

"If it means that hiding what I am from the rest of our classmates, then no, I haven't," Mayumi said, back straight as she glared straight at Bakugou. She wasn't a tall person to begin with, so she had to look up a bit just to meet his red glaring eyes. It might have been a funny sight at first, but neither of them were laughing. "But that doesn't mean that I am ashamed of being an underground league fighter."

_That's right. I'm fucking proud of it, dumbass._

"I don't go parading myself to everyone I know because I spent blood, sweat, and tears just to get here. I wouldn't let my pride ruin it all and expose myself that easily. You don't know the shit that I had to go through, so don't you dare say that I don't deserve it." Mayumi seethed, matching Bakugou's scowl, before shooting him an angry glare one last time, and continued walking.

"If you don't like me being an underground fighter, and that I plan to continue to be one, then consider our deal done, and don't even bother showing your face in the gym ever again." Mayumi said, walking away. Although it hurt a bit to say it, she had to. Besides Uraraka, Bakugou was one of the people whom she'd managed to build a weird sense of friendship with in her classroom. What they had felt like something beyond a quid pro quo agreement. Mayumi found herself enjoying their training and even studying with him in that small cafe. However, if he can't accept her for who she is and looks down upon her just because she's involved in the underground world; if he can't see the hardships that she had to go through just to rank second in the UFR, then he wasn't worthy of her time. Mayumi knew better than to waste her time and effort on people who can't appreciate that.

Bakugou was left stunned at Mayumi's declaration, however, not surprised. He saw it from the moment Mayumi stepped into the Cage in the UFR. He saw it when Mayumi was yelling her victory cry, all bloodied and bruised, but happy and content. He saw it that night, that she really does love what she's doing, and that she seemed to have no intention in quitting in the Fighting League just because she's been found.

_You idiot... Who said I didn't like you?_

* * *

_Okay... Breathe. This should be like one of the fights in UFR. They're no different than those fights._

Mayumi was sitting on the floor of the waiting area, stretching her legs with her forehead touching the floor. Mayumi let out a groan, releasing the tension that she felt in her nerves.

That was until she heard a loud explosion, and Mayumi immediately sat up. The first thing she thought that the school might be under attack, or there was a freak accident. However, when she looked up at the viewing screen in her waiting room, she saw a cloud of smoke obstructing the camera's view. The camera changed to another one stationed within the area, and there, she saw the red, white, and blue costume of All Might, kneeling down on the ground. However, he wasn't alone.

"Bakugou." Mayumi muttered under her breath as she saw the explosive blonde being pinned down by the number one hero. The teenager was saying something, but there was no audio on the speakers. Whatever he said, Mayumi could see that he was using what's left of his strength to try to fight his way away from All Might.

_Idiot. Stop fighting, unless you want to lose all your strength and pass out._

Mayumi knew how much using a quirk to its limits can be draining to one's stamina, and hearing the blast from inside the viewing room, Mayumi knew that the explosive blonde was probably pushing beyond his limits. He was that type of guy.

Mayumi watched in horror when she saw All Might slam Bakugou's head on the concrete road, then his legs going straight, then slack.

"The fuck?! Are they even allowed to do that?!" Mayumi asked, watching as the dust cleared out to see Bakugou unconscious on the road. Suddenly, she saw a green suit dash forward and slam a fist on All Might's face. Midoriya rushed to get Bakugou, and carried him his shoulder like a sack of flour.

_Jesus, Bakugou's not gonna like that at all._

Mayumi heard a buzzer ring in her waiting area.

"Stand by. Ten minutes before Nitta Mayumi's solo practical exam."

* * *

If there were any advantage that she got while watching Tokoyami and Tsuyu's exam, it was that she was able to map out the whole building that they were in.

If there were any disadvantage that she has now, it was everything about this damned exam. Not only was working alone a problem –it determined the whole course of this exam. Unlike Tsuyu and Tokoyami, she had no means to jump up to different levels. The floors in the building were too high, even if she powers up her jump. Another disadvantage would be if she made a rush up the stairs and fight her way through clones, then her stamina would be up for a beating, so running the whole time is out of the question.

By the looks of Tokoyami and Tsuyu's exam, she'd be facing around thirty or more clones, and if they show up at the same time, then that'd be a problem. A buzzer sounded, and Mayumi stood a bit straighter.

"Nitta Mayumi, solo practical exam," The announcer said. "Ready, go!"

Mayumi shot off to a steady jog straight to the staircase. She only had thirty minutes to complete the exam, and not only did she have quite a long way to go, but she also had to deal with thirty or more clones blocking her way.

 _The practical exam is based off from our own weaknesses,_ Midoriya told her while they were in the viewing room with Recovery Girl.

_So what the hell is my weakness?_

Mayumi reached the second level and from there, she saw that the tunnel leading to the next portion of the building was two more floors up.

_Are they trying to tire me? See how much I can handle before I run out of strength?_

When Mayumi thought about it, it made total sense for this exam to be an evaluation and assessment of, not only her combat and critical strategy, but her physical capabilities as well. This is the first time that anyone would be seeing her in action, especially when it comes anything close to hero work. Since she was doing this alone, she needed to just do it with what she felt was right.

_Fine then... Like in the UFR –don't give injuries that may result to dying. And since I have a time limit of thirty minutes, it's impossible to deal with each clone for a minute, especially since I have to make my way to the original body of Ectoplasm-sensei. So the best thing that I can do is to run. I have no means of fighting this many alone._

Mayumi reached the fourth floor, and kept her fists up. Even though there weren't any clones appearing at the moment, it doesn't give her the excuse to drop her guard, and not expect any clone hiding behind any pillar or entry way. When she turned to the tunnel that leads to the other building, she saw a clone appear from a cloud of smoke, and stand straight there.

If Ectoplasm wasn't her teacher, she would easily mistake him for a villain, with his ominous costume design.

_Okay. Just rush to the exit. Evade him, don't fight him._

Mayumi let out an exhale, and dashed forward, but not towards the enemy, but to the side of her teacher. From what she saw in the live stream of Ectoplasm's exam, he was all attacks coming from the legs. Even though he was peg legged and armless –and Mayumi would love nothing than to know how that happened, he was more than capable in hand-to-hand combat (or in this case, hand-to-leg combat).

So the moment that Mayumi ran to his side, she expected his first move, and that was a kick to her side. With well-timed reflexes from years of training, Mayumi dropped to her knees and slid across the floor, avoiding Ectoplasm's leg from hitting her. Mayumi had her back bent backwards, and from there, she quickly pushed herself up from the floor to start evading the clone's incoming kicks. It wasn't anything that wasn't to dodge, but she had to be quick, none less. She had to be careful, because one misstep can change everything. She dodged, left and right, until she was able to see a pattern, and block the clone's kick. She grabbed the clone's peg leg, and using her quirk, she carried it with one arm and threw it across the hallway.

_One down, twenty-fuckin'-nine to go, goddammit!_

Mayumi dashed to the exit of the tunnel, only to be met with a floor that was littered with Ectoplasm's clones.

"Shit!" Mayumi exclaimed, and a buzzer sounded.

"Deduction for use of profane language!"

_Goddammit!_

Mayumi looked around, and saw that the nearest stair case was not far from where she stood, and she continued to dodge the attacks that Ectoplasm's clones sent her. When she reached the top of the star case, she turned round, grabbed the nearest clone, and tossed it to the clones that tried to follow her, all of them dissolving into a puff of smoke. It was the same thing in the different levels that she reached, until finally, she reached the ground floor, sweating and panting. Mayumi might have been trained in hand-to-hand combat, however, during her fights in the League, she was only used to going through one or two rounds. Although the maximum number of rounds in the UFR was three, she made it a habit to not let the fight reach three rounds, lest she becomes more tired and lose. She might have been just fifteen minutes in, but Mayumi already felt the faint ache in her muscles. She wasn't used to prolonged fights, and it was her first time fighting a bunch of people, while having to run

Just when Mayumi thought that she had an advantage in fighting, she suddenly felt so far behind everything.

However, there was no time for any signs of weakness when she was faced with Ectoplasm's real body in between her and the exit. Mayumi stood up straight and walked right up to Ectoplasm, who seemed to let out a sinister laugh.

_Seriously, he would make a good villain._

"I see my clones managed to tire you out –just as I planned."

"Aw, _dang,_ I fell into your trap." Mayumi said, sarcasm dripping from her voice as she sent a jab on her teacher's face. However, he was too quick –quicker than his clones. He managed to dodge Mayumi's jab, with a series of flips that left Mayumi's jaw hanging.

_This guy is so goddamn intense!_

Mayumi turned to face Ectoplasm, and was almost met with the foot of one of his peg legs. Mayumi leaned back, and continued dodging, her movements starting to slow down.

_This is not good._

Mayumi was already feeling her movements slurring from fatigue, and ended up with a peg leg hitting her right on the stomach. She flew back, rolling, and with her back hitting the foot of the stairs. Mayumi got up on all fours, and charged back to her teacher, feeling her energy starting to run out.

Although she had her hands down, she focused on dodging Ectoplasm's kicks, trying to read his attacks.

Mayumi anticipated the next kick to her side, and she immediately dropped to the floor, and reached up to grab the peg leg of her teacher. With speedy hands and the activation of her quirk, Mayumi was able to grab one of Ectoplasm's peg leg and threw him off balance the moment that Mayumi stood up.

"Pardon me for this, Ectoplasm-sensei!" Mayumi gritted out, and with all of her strength, just like what Knuckle Duster did, she slammed her teacher on the ground. Ectoplasm was dazed long enough for Mayumi to realize that running away wasn't the only choice for her in this exam. She brought out the handcuffs that was given to her before she entered, and slid it on one of Ectoplasm's peg legs.

The buzzer sounded, and Mayumi looked up to hear Principal Nezu's voice from the escape gate.

"Good job!"

_I feel so fucking tired._

Mayumi fell back, sitting on the ground from exhaustion as Ectoplasm sat up, looking at her.

"You did excellent today, Nitta-san."

_More like a desperate half-assed plan._

"You exceeded our expectation, Nitta-san. Originally, we were expecting you to head for the escape gate to evade me, because you alone would be not compatible with my quirk. However, you have proven through your combat ability that you are more capable than we first though, and for that, I congratulate you."

Mayumi felt as if she could cry. Ever since moving to Japan, this is the first time that she actually did good in school, and she felt as if the three years she spent were from a different lifetime.

"Expect high marks for your final score, and we expect even greater things from you as a hero, young lady."

* * *

When Mayumi reached her bed, she fell down and slept herself into a coma.

She never felt this tired before, in her matches. It usually ended within the first and second round, with her knocking out the contender. Although it did show great promise in her strength as a fighter, it made her neglect her build-up on stamina, and endurance training. When Mayumi got home, she told him that she needed to add some drills to her endurance training, and that she should be able to last fighting in thirty minutes. She's got a long way to go, but she believes that she'd get there.

It was the start of summer vacation the next day, and for Mayumi, it was the perfect time to sleep in. She came home to a huge ramekin of chicken ala king on her counter top, made by the Manager to cheer her up a bit. He left a note, saying that he had some business to attend to in Hosu City, and would talk to her about her exam tomorrow morning over breakfast. Mayumi dug in to the Manager's honest attempt of chicken ala king (he had a hard time re-creating Western Food, and often doesn't get the taste right, but she's happy that he's trying), and fell to the bed.

It wasn't until the next morning when she woke up to a rather unusual setting.

"Yami... Wake up... Yamiiiii..."

"Goddamit, leave me alone!" Mayumi groaned, smacking her pillow at whoever tried to wake her up. How dare they? She needs this sleep, after some peg legged dude almost kicked the crap out of her.

"Oi, Yumi! Get up! You have visitors!" She heard the gruff voice of the Manager from her closed, eyes, and Mayumi sighed out in frustration. It took her five seconds to realize and process the two voices that she just heard. Her eyes snapped open and she immediately turned in her bed to see her red haired classmate standing beside her bed, waving at her.

"Yumi-san in her natural habitat –it's neat!" He complimented, looking around, and Mayumi sat up, grabbing her sheets and lifting it to cover her chest.

"What the hell are you doing in my room?!" Honestly, Mayumi was shocked at first, but she didn't feel angry or annoyed. She actually felt the corner of her lips curling up into a disbelieving smile. This guy was starting to grow on her.

"Your grandpa let us in! We were gonna train in your gym, but Bakugou wanted to drop by here first, to see if you're already awake."

"Hey, stop feeding her shitty lies!" Mayumi heard a voice exclaim through the divider that separated her bedroom to the living room. "I just told you that she lived here and you were the one who dragged me here!"

"Hey –er, I'll just change, and I'll be with you in a while, yeah?" Mayumi asked, and Kirishima seemed to blush and scratch the back of his head.

"Oh –yeah... I'm sorry, I completely forgot. Totally uncool," He stammered, while backing away. "Imma just wait with Bakugou, okay?" Mayumi let out a huff, and dashed to her bathroom, hastily putting on a bra, out of all things, and twirling her hair up and keeping it in place with a clamp. She looked like a total NEET in her getup of baggy pajamas and a grey tee, but Mayumi didn't really care about that. When she got out, she looked at the scene in her apartment: Bakugou was sitting beside Kirishima, arms crossed, while Kirishima was looking and petting Baby, who just sat in front of him. The Manager was in the kitchen, starting to prepare some ingredients for breakfast.

"Scoot over old man," Mayumi said, bumping her hip to the old man's while taking the knife in his hand. He was chopping up some potatoes, in preparation for an omelette recipe that Mayumi taught him a year ago.

"You cook, Yami?" Kirishima asked, his eyes never leaving the dobberman in front of him, who rested its head on his lap.

"Mhmm," Mayumi hummed in response, setting the chopped potatoes aside, and placing a skillet on the stove. She turned it on, setting it to low heat, and went to the refrigerator to bring out a stick of butter, and a bunch of eggs. "My mother was a home economics teacher, and a certified teacher in cookery and baking. She taught me what she knows, and everything else I know was just from experimenting." Mayumi said, cracking four eggs into a bowl with one hand, and whisked it with a fork.

"Coffee's running," The Manager said, grabbing his cane from the doorway. "I'll just be downstairs in the gym." He said, and Mayumi hummed.

"Hey, Yami, congrats on your practical exam, by the way!" Kirishima said, giving her a bright smile, and Mayumi just sent a sleepy one in return and hummed. "Sato and I failed ours, and seeing that your quirk shares almost the same category as ours, I wanted to ask for some tips for my next exam."

"Sure," Mayumi yawned, stretching her arms. "But after breakfast, kay?"

"You're not a morning person, are you, Yami?" Kirishima asked, as Mayumi's pregnant dog climbed on the low sofa, squeezing itself in between Bakugou and Kirishima.

"Not 'til I have my coffee." Mayumi said, cutting a small piece of butter and placing it on the skillet with oil. She spread it around on the surface of the skillet, before placing it back on the stove and poured the scrambled eggs on it.

"Hey, Yami, when's your dog gonna give birth?" Kirishima asked, petting the space in between the Dobberman's ears, and cooing when the dobberman held its tongue out to him.

"Some time this summer," Mayumi said, pouring in the onions and potatoes, before adding the grated cheese that the Manager prepared. "Want one?"

"Are you kidding?" Kirishima asked. "If it's gonna be cuter than this good girl right here, then I'm all for it!" Mayumi hummed in response, before flipping the omelette close and turning off the stove, letting the remaining heat of the pan cook the egg. Mayumi got some bowls and some spoons, and placed them down on the table.

"Have you guys eaten?" Mayumi asked, and removing the pot from the rice cooker. Mayumi placed it on her wooden island counter and opened its lid, steam flowing out. Mayumi got a serving spoon, drew a small cross on top of the rice, before getting two spoonfuls of rice, and placing it on her bowl.

"Nah –we're good." Kirishima said, walking to the island counter to join Mayumi. She placed a portion of her omelette on top of her steaming bowl of rice before squirting a generous amount of ketchup on top. Mayumi then poured herself coffee and added a ton of sugar and creamer. Mayumi was sipping contentedly from her mug of liquid heaven before she heard a voice that she haven't heard since she woke up.

"Got tired of that jet fuel shit you drink?" She heard from behind her. Mayumi turned to see Bakugou sitting on a bar stool with his cheek resting on his hand. Mayumi almost forgot –he passed out right at the end of the exam, and with their last chilly encounter, Mayumi didn't exactly know how to respond to him. She basically told him to fuck off if he didn't like her, and now he was here, talking to her.

"It varies from time to time," Mayumi muttered, sipping more of her coffee and taking a huge spoonful of rice and eggs. "Kirishima, why are you here again? Sorry, my brain was in autopilot awhile ago." Mayumi said, gaining a bit of sense now that she was having her daily dose of caffine, and now that she was filling her stomach with good food.

"I need some advice, Yami –from one many guy to another manly girl. We have the same quirk, and if you managed to pass the exam, then maybe I could too." Kirishima said, and Mayumi smiled at that.

"Well, if you have a copy of your exam video, then we could view it together after I eat, kay?" Mayumi asked, spooning in bite after bite of rice and eggs before washing it down with milky coffee.

"Sure thing! Take your time, Yami!" Kirishima said, moving back to the couch to rejoin the pregnant dobberman that was just looking at the three of them in the kitchen. Mayumi continued to spoon food into her mouth, and stopped when she felt the hair on the back of her head stand from the feeling of someone staring at her. Mayumi looked a bit to her right to see Bakugou still looking at her, however, he was no longer resting his head on his hand.

"You're such a goddamn pig, you know that?" Bakugou asked, glaring at her, and Mayumi rolled her eyes.

"I _like_ to eat and I enjoy good food. Is that a crime?" Mayumi asked after swallowing her food and adding more rice and eggs. "Besides, my quirk uses up a lot of my stamina, adrenaline, and whatever energy I have in my body. I need to re-stack after nearly losing it yesterday." She explained, sipping some of her coffee. Mayumi ate a few more bites, before speaking again.

"So," Mayumi started, gulping down her food. "You came back." Bakugou gave her a smirk, and to be honest, it was something that she missed seeing from Bakugou. For the past weeks, they've done nothing other than to shout, fight, and ignore each other. It was this smirk that brought things back to its pace –but somehow, Mayumi felt that this time around, things would be a tad bit different. Mayumi just didn't know what that difference is.

"I still need to kick your ass, y'know." Bakugou said, grabbing her mug of coffee and draining its contents, leaving Mayumi gaping.

"And besides –I'm still waiting for your next fight."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM BACK, GUYS!
> 
> Sorry for the long ass delay, but I needed some time to get my shit together, and finals was a wreck. It was something I do not want to relive ever again. Anyways, I am back with renewed mojo for the story, and I am more excited as the story goes! We're going in to summer, and that means, the Bakugou rescue arc, huehuehue! I have good shit ready for that, my dudes! Good shit!
> 
> Thank you, everyone, for all of your continued support! Like taxes are to the nation, you guys are my lifeblood (ahhh too much Politics and Governance T-T School is eating up my life istg). Feel free to leave a kudos or a comment (or both ;) )


	14. Mayumi vs Kirishima

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry that this is so overdue! Things have been going crazy with my research paper, and other subjects, along with the sports fest week in our school.
> 
> Anyways, I hope you guys haven't given up on this fic yet! I try to update as soon as I can, but school and life keeps getting on the way :( I hope you guys can bear with me.
> 
> Thank you all for your love and support!

"All right, Yami! Let's do this!" Kirishima exclaimed, already in his gym wear the moment that he stepped in the ring.

"You're too goddamn cheery in the morning." Mayumi muttered, sloppily entering the ring with a tumbler of iced coffee. A few days after Bakugou ratted out to Kirishima where she lives, each of them got a disc that contained copies of surveillance footages of their own practical exams. She was in the middle of watching hers for the fourth time around, when Kirishima stormed in her apartment, his own disc in hand.

_Screw Bakugou for showing Kirishima where I lived._

They watched Kirishima's exam tape together, and from the first ten seconds, Mayumi immediately knew what was wrong.

" _Dude, did you even think that through?"_ Mayumi asked, pausing the video when Kirishima and Sato started to get totalled by waves of cement walls.

" _Er-... At the time, it felt like we could just punch through."_ Kirishima said, scratching the back of his head. After that, Mayumi told him that hero or not, rushing head on to a fight without a single thought is plain stupid.

She thought that what she gave was just a one-time advice. He thought that it was an offer for him to train with her. One day, Mayumi went down to the gym to see Kirishima waiting beside Bakuguo in the boxing ring.

That was how Mayumi ended up standing in front of two boys, not knowing how to go about this.

"Shit face, I thought we'd agreed that you'd train with me!" Bakugou scolded, walking up to Mayumi.

"Hey, I didn't know that Kirshima wanted to train, too!" Mayumi exclaimed, pointing at the red haired boy, who just smiled at her. "And I didn't know that you wanna train during summer, too! I mean, don't you wanna rest, or take a break?"

"Rest is for pussies," Bakugou spat, and Mayumi rolled her eyes.

_And here I thought I could sleep in the whole summer._

"Jesus, this has got to be illegal," Mayumi muttered, placing her hands on her hips. "Here I am, wasting time and energy on you, and what do I get in return?" Mayumi asked, raising a brow at Bakugou, who just glared at her. However, Mayumi noticed that it lacked her usual bite. Something was off, and Mayumi didn't know what.

"At least Kirishima here is better company." Mayumi muttered, before placing her tumbler down and clapping her hands.

"Okay, let's start with the warm up."

* * *

While Kirishima and Bakugou visited their gym thrice a week to get lessons, Mayumi spent most of her time with her own training.

She had to give up two out of three days of training with them to be able to start focusing on herself, leaving them to train with a trainer that the Manager personally recommended. Albeit a bit disappointed, Bakugou and Kirishima had to deal with it, even if the Manager said that he trained a lot of good ones in the league. Of course, it was only Bakugou who caught on what the Manager really meant to say, and that got him to shut his bitching even for a bit.

Mayumi realized as she watched her exam tape during one humid evening in her apartment was one thing: she was too damn slow. She was neither flexible nor powerful enough to do super jumps, and she had to reach to her destination at the pace of an average, quirkless, human being. As a fighter, that's not much of an issue. However, if she wanted to get through the Hero Course of U.A., she had to do something about it.

Which lead her to her current predicament.

"Let's move it, Nitta!"

Mayumi hung upside down the net that she was climbing, her foot stuck in it. In order to do something about her stamina, speed, and agility, Mayumi decided to enrol in a parkour class, and a few sessions into it, Mayumi was starting to doubt her choice.

"Parkour isn't a skill that you learn on your first day. It is a battle that you win, given that you have the right weapons. Before taking on parkour, you need to be in the right condition," Their instructor said. He was, what one may describe, was a square. Their instructor was wearing combat boots, camouflage pants, and a simple grey tee. He had perfectly groomed hair that was swept back, sharp eyes and brows, and a straight posture as he observed his students with his hands behind his back. His voice was definitely meant for teaching, by how smooth, deep, and clear it was. However, his stance and his aura gives Mayumi a vibe that he used to work with the government, or maybe with the army. "You need to be able to carry your own weight as fast as you can in a long duration. So before you can do anything that you see in the movies, you have to go through hell, first."

Mayumi swore that she could hear her instructor smiling at their screams of pain.

* * *

"I'm dead beat," Mayumi groaned, plopping down on the boxing ring mat in front of Kirishima and Bakugou. They were sitting down on the mat of the ring, resting as if they just finished their cool down. "I can feel my muscles giving up on me. Any time now, I'm gonna turn to stone. _Shit._ "

"Weak shit." Bakugou muttered while gulping down from his own bottle of water.

"Hey Yami, let's spar on our next training!" Kirishima said, placing down his own water bottle.

"Why can't you spar with Baku-boy over here?" Mayumi asked, and she swore that she heard a crackling explosion from the blonde's palms.

"Eh, there's nothing wrong with sparing with him," Kirishima said, shrugging his shoulders. "It's just that I haven't trained with you, yet, and I trust you more with hand-to-hand combat. Besides, you're better. I mean Bakugou here got his training from you."

"Just watch, Shitty Hair! One day, I'm gonna kick her ass, and she'll be the one running to me for training." Bakugou grumbled. Even he was too tired to stay angry. Mayumi just sighed and stared at the ceiling. She had no energy to talk back at Bakugou, and she was getting used to Bakugou's biting comments, anyway.

"Jesus, I can't stand." Mayumi groaned, feeling the muscles on her thighs grow stiff. Kirishima stood up and held out a hand to Mayumi, who just looked at it and slapped it. She rolled over, pushing herself up on all fours, and groaning from the immense strain she felt in her muscles.

"I'll carry your stuff for you, Yami." Kirishima offered, picking up Mayumi's gym bag. Mayumi just let out a relieved sigh and patted Kirishima's shoulder.

"You're goddamn sent from heaven, Kiri." She said, not even noticing the nickname that she donned on the red haired boy. In her fatigue, Mayumi didn't notice the cold glare that she received from the explosive blonde that sat near them, and how his fists clenched and unclenched.

"Whatever," The explosive blonde said, standing up and slinging his gym bag over his shoulder. "I'm ditching you idiots."

Mayumi sat there on the mat, confused as she stared at the retreating form of Bakugou.

_What the hell's got his panties in a twist?_

* * *

It was hell, but it was necessary.

Mayumi continued her weekly routine of training in her parkour school two times a week, while training with Bakugou and Kirishima once a week. Training with Bakugou was nice, Mayumi had to admit. He was serious about training, straight to the point, and seemed to take note of and ask about all the important stuff, like the proper forms and the physics of fighting.

However, training with Kirishima was hella fun.

His happy go lucky attitude and his smile was so contagious that Mayumi sometimes found herself smiling in the mornings, even without coffee. Sparring with Kirishima wasn't like Bakugou's at all. When Mayumi sparred with Bakugou, it was filled with struggling and finding the _smart_ way to get out of their tangled situation, and to bring the other to submission. However, with Kirishima, it was a fast paced wrestle that used a hell of a lot of their brute forces, and Mayumi _loved_ it. It was sometimes filled with banter, but it was the type of banter wherein they'd sometimes end up just sprawled on the floor, laughing at the stupidity of their own insults. Once they'd calm down, they'll start all over again and end up with both Kirishima and Mayumi sore, but oddly satisfied with training.

This annoyed the hell out of Bakugou.

"The fuck are you going on, wasting time? There isn't any time for that kind of shit here!" Bakugou exclaimed as Mayumi and Kirishima ended up sprawled on the boxing mat again, laughing. Mayumi really couldn't take Kirishima spouting out insults like Bakugou, because with his optimistic face, it could never sound menacing.

"It's called fun, _Baku-boy_ " Mayumi's newfound favourite nickname for the explosive name. "It's what people do during the summer." She said, sitting looking at Bakugou, who was glaring at her from outside of the ring.

"It's a waste of fucking time. Wanna have fun, don't do it during training." The explosive blonde grumbled, and Mayumi just sighed.

"Whatever, you wouldn't get it. You've always had a stick up your ass." Mayumi muttered, before standing up and holding out a hand at Kirishima, who gladly took it. Mayumi helped him up, and went back to their battle stance.

"I don't even know why I'm still stuck with you. You're such a waste of my goddamn time." Bakugou said, before stalking off to get his gym bag. Mayumi dropped her guard at the sudden outburst and stared at the retreating form of her classmate. Has he had it? Was he leaving her for good?

_What the fuck just happened?_

Kirishima didn't see it. He didn't see Mayumi's hands drop, as she looked at Bakugou. He thought that they were starting their sparring session, so he sent a jab at Mayumi's face, which she openly received. The moment his fist connected with her cheek, regret immediately flooded his senses. Mayumi felt her world shake and rotate, and the next thing she knew, she was sitting down on boxing mat, Kirishima in front of her.

"What the fuck, Shitty Hair?!"

"ImsorryI'msorryIdidn'tseethatshewasn'treadyIdidn'tgettopullmypunchI'msorryI'msorryI'msorry," Kirishima babbled, both to Mayumi and Bakugou, who rushed inside the boxing ring to kneel in front of her. Mayumi looked at the two boys in front of her, confused when she saw the room rotating. Mayumi just closed her eyes and leaned back, her cheek starting to hurt.

"I'll go get some ice." She heard one of them say. In her state, she could tell who said it since she was too focused on the spinning sensation at the back of her mind.

Mayumi sighed and just let out a smirk, despite the dizziness that she was fighting through.

"Nice jab, Kiri," She said, her eyes closed as she reached out to pat the cheek of the boy in front of her. "Just don't do it again, okay?" Mayumi opened her eyes to see red eyes staring back at her, and Mayumi felt her heart stop.

She wasn't holding Kirishima's cheek.

Mayumi immediately retracted her hand, as if burned, and blinked at Bakugou, her mind going blank.

"Can't believe you took me for Shitty Hair," Bakugou muttered, cupping her chin with one hand, and turning it to the side, examining the red that was starting to bloom on left cheek. "Great, now it looks like you're all flushed on just one side of your stupid face. Too distracted, Shit Face?" He asked, the corner of his lips turning up to a smirk as Mayumi placed a hand on her cheek, which was starting to ache.

"In your dreams." Mayumi said, glaring at Bakugou. His face seemed to be too close for her liking. She covered his face with her hand and pushed him to sit back on the boxing ring. Mayumi just stood up and stalked off to look for Kirishima, who she remembered was getting a bag of ice.

However, Mayumi didn't need a bag of ice nor a punch to both of her cheeks to know that both of her cheeks were starting to turn red.

* * *

Mayumi was never fond of swimming.

When she was five, she remembered chasing after her slipper that fell on the adult's pool. The next thing she knew, she was enveloped in water, and that she was falling down even further. She didn't know what to do, and she tried calling out to someone –anyone. She would have died if it weren't for a lifeguard, who dove right in to save her. It wasn't the only instance that happened. She had countless of accounts on drowning, and Mayumi had learned her lesson on avoiding bodies of water like the plague.

So when Mayumi got a text from Kirishima, saying that there was going to be training in U.A.'s swimming pool, Mayumi just sent a swift 'no', and that was the end of the discussion.

Even when Mayumi found Kirishima standing in front of her apartment door, asking her to go, Mayumi almost slammed the damned thing to his face.

"Yami, don't be such a kill-joy!" Kirishima said, going in her apartment and immediately sitting in front of Baby, who was lazily lying down on a corner.

"I hate pools, and I hate going out during the summer." Mayumi simply said, plopping down on her broke down couch.

"C'mon, Yami! You're part of the family, now! We need some bonding time!" Kirishima pleaded, plopping down on the couch next to her. However, Mayumi saw his face fall when he saw the yellow patches of skin on her cheek.

It's been a week since Kirishima accidentally punched Mayumi in the face, and her cheek had faded into blotches on her cheek with a faint yellow shade. She had to listen to Kirishima's repetitive apologies as she sat on her worn out couch with ice on her cheek. As she sat between the Manager (who was giving her an odd look) and her dog, she felt her heart twist when she saw the guilty look on his face. It wasn't his fault in any way, even if he was the one who threw the punch.

She was the one who looked away and got distracted. It was her fault. Maybe she'd indulge Kirishima in this request.

"Okay, fine, I'll go." She said, sighing and leaning back on her couch.

"Alright!"

"But don't expect me to swim. I hate swimming." Mayumi muttered lying down on her couch as all of the embarrassing memories of her and swimming came back to her. The worst one was when a grown man had to save her teenage ass when she had her first attempt in diving during her swimming class in P.E.

"Well, at least you're with us. It's gonna be fun, Yami!" Kirishima said, before placing his attention back on Mayumi's pregnant dog.

"By the way, Yami, when's she due?"

"The vet said that she'd be giving birth around next week, or the week after that. It's a bit close, now, so I have to keep a close eye on her." Mayumi said, looking at her dog, who was heaving out laboured breaths as she fell asleep.

"Next week? But that's during our summer camp." Kirishima said. Mayumi bolted up, her eyes wide at Kirishima.

"Wait... What summer camp?!"

* * *

"What is even the point of this?"

Mayumi kind of thought that it would be a good idea to just agree with Kirishima and say that she was going to go to this swimming training thing. At first, she agreed out of guilt, but after a while of thinking, Mayumi managed to convince a small part of herself that it would be good for her to enjoy and mingle with the rest of her class through training and exercise.

However, Mayumi didn't realize that it was just going to be one whole afternoon of just slacking off, with the girls playing in the pool. It's not like she could join with the guys, who were doing actual training, thanks to Iida's enthusiasm. So, in the end, Mayumi ended up sitting by the pool, soaking half of her legs on the cool water.

_I should have just stayed home. I could have slept the whole day to prepare myself for parkour training tomorrow._

Mayumi sighed as she just lied down on the poolside, her pony-tailed hair fanning out on the tiled floor. She grabbed the worn out aviators that she brought and placed it over her eyes, letting the warm sun lull her to sleep.

_Kirishima didn't even show up, that bastard._

"Yumi, want a drink?" Mayumi heard the sweet voice of her seatmate. She opened her eyes to see Uraraka sitting beside her, a cold orange can in hand. It was either orange soda, or just orange juice, but Mayumi took it anyway.

She loved oranges, whether it was the fruit or the color.

Mayumi sat up and opened the can. The satisfying click, followed by a slight fizz was all Mayumi needed for her to start gulping down the contents of the can.

"Bless the man or woman who brought this thing here." Mayumi muttered after gulping down nearly half of the can.

"Iida-kun brought it." Uraraka said, and Mayumi sighed.

"He just managed to secure my vote for class rep for the next three years." Mayumi said, raising her can again, and taking a sip of the drink this time. She'd savour the cold, sweet and tangy sensation on her tongue for a bit more.

It was a good thing that Mayumi managed to set down the small can of liquid heaven, before she felt hands grab her foot, followed by someone dragging her into the pool.

Mayumi flailed in desperation, but to no avail, she found herself plunging unprepared into the cool water of the pool. Mayumi felt her chest tighten as she felt herself immersed in the water of the pool, and as she felt herself sinking. Mayumi flailed her limbs and tried to shout, and Mayumi knew that it was a bad idea. When a person has exhaled all the air in his or her lungs, their first instinct is to breathe in, and that was exactly what Mayumi did.

_This is it. This is how I'm going to die._

Mayumi felt a hand grab hers, and suddenly, she was pulled out of the suffocating pool of liquid hell. Her vision was blurry as she felt herself being pulled to the pool side. She immediately went on all fours and coughed out the water in her lungs, before lying down on her back. She felt her throat raspy, and she felt her lungs taking in laboured breaths. Maybe she was wheezing? She didn't know. All she knew that she was on safe, safe land, and that she was never going to a pool party with her classmates ever again.

"Yumi, are you alright?"She heard Uraraka ask. Mayum blinked at her friend and looked down to see Uraraka gripping her wrist. So she was the one who pulled her out?

"You're a fucking angel." Mayumi rasped out, holding Uraraka's wrist tightly, as if to show how much pulling her out of the pool meant to her.

"Yumi, I'm so sorry," She heard someone say. Mayumi slowly sat up to see Mina climbing out of the pool to sit beside her. "I thought that it would be funny at first, and that you'd take it as a joke! I didn't know that you couldn't swim, I'm so sorry!" Mina pleaded, grabbing Mayumi's clammy hand and gripping it in hers.

Mayumi just grabbed Mina's curly hair and weakly shook it.

"Just don't do it again, 'kay?"

Mayumi didn't have the energy for this shit.

"I'm so sorry, Yumi! I won't do it again!" Mina exclaimed, and Mayumi just patted the pink girl's head.

"Here, have my drink instead!" Mina exclaimed, grabbing a nearby orange can and shoving it into Mayumi's hand.

_I've forgotten what you did already._

Mayumi smiled and opened the orange soda drink, and took a sip, only to spit it out when she looked up at the shadow that loomed over her.

"You look terrible, Shit Face."

Mayumi knew and had an idea what Bakugou's body was like. They trained together, which meant that she saw the bulging muscles on his arms, and the fit bod that he maintained. She also often tousled him to the ground during training, and had an idea what was underneath the black tank top that he always wore. The tight fit tank of his costume also left little to the imagination. However, it was another thing to see the actual thing, and up close.

Bakugou was now standing in front of her, shirtless, and Mayumi felt her throat clench. She usually doesn't react to half naked men, and since she knows that Bakugou works out, it wasn't surprising to see that he has a fit body.

But those were _abs_ –and to think that he was only fifteen years old. It was crazy stupid.

"As if you look any better." Mayumi managed to rasp out. Bakugou just raised a knowing brow at her. With her pathetic sniffling self and her raspy voice, it wasn't hard to guess what happened to her.

"Move over, you're in the way." Bakugou said, and Mayumi immediately brought her legs to her knees, giving way to Bakugou. Mayumi looked back at his retreating form.

_What the fuck? Even his back is ripped as fuck!_

"Yumi," A voice broke her reverie, and Mayumi snapped to see Uraraka looking at her with knowing eyes. "You're so flushed! You look like you're gonna catch a cold from all the drowning you did!"

Mayumi knew that Uraraka was far from dense, and that she was stepping

Mayumi saw red –although she didn't know if it was from anger, or from the blood rushing to her cheeks. She sent Uraraka her most menacing smile –one that could challenge Bakugou's.

"You ever tried drowning, huh, Uraraka?"

* * *

After an unexpected interruption during their session, they were all forced to leave the school premises by their homeroom advisor.

Mayumi was walking back home, music blasting through her earphones, when she felt a rock hit the back of her leg. Mayumi turned to see Bakugou walking towards her with his hands in his pocket, alongside Kirishima, who was waving at her. Mayumi paused the song that was blasting through her ears, and stopped to turn to them. However, Mayumi found it hard to meet Bakugou in the eye, after what she saw awhile ago.

"Yami, are you headed to the station?" Kirishima asked, and Mayumi just nodded before walking in pace with them. Mayumi pressed play again on her phone, listening to the blaring guitar solos and the ecstatic drum beat that made her fingers drum on the side of her leg. It was a special playlist made by her cousin, and it was the only thing that she has left that reminded her of home –or at least what used to be her home.

The water and the drowning incident might have rattled her brain, because it seemed that Mayumi was walking thoughtlessly throughout the music. Mayumi only snapped back to reality when she felt a hand tug on the back of her collar to stop her from walking.

"Hey there, Yami! You feeling okay?"

Mayumi almost walked straight towards the street, and Mayumi removed the one earphone that was plugged to her ear.

"Shit, I didn't see, I'm sorry." Mayumi mumbled, shaking her head.

"Hey, I'm splitting from here, cuz my train heads the other way. Go straight home after this. No more detours or anything, okay? You seemed tired as hell." Kirishima said, and Mayumi let out a huff.

It was in that moment when Kirishima looked at her in the eyes and placed his hand on her shoulder, he reminded Mayumi so much of her cousin.

"Yes, _dad_. Take care, Kiri." Mayumi said, patting the redhead on the shoulder, before turning and plugging in both of her earphones again, blasting her punk playlist to full volume again. She seemed to be walking aimlessly into the train station again, when she felt her collar being tugged again, and her earphones being pulled off.

"Kiri-"

"I'm not Hair for Brains, idiot."

Mayumi froze as she looked up to see Bakugou, who was taking her smartphone and earphones from her hand. It's not like she's avoiding him. It's just that her whole summer vacation with him so far was spent on awkward encounters that often left Mayumi with a feeling that she is desperately trying to reject. It was a feeling that Mayumi was familiar with, but she chooses to blatantly ignore, because she had a lot more to focus on in life than stupid feelings.

"Hey! What the hell?!" Mayumi exclaimed when Bakugou took of the earphones and plugged it into his ears out of sheer curiosity. His face remained impassive, as they both walked towards the platform, waiting for the train.

"Not surprised you listen to them," Bakugou said, and Mayumi raised a brow. "They're good shit."

_Did Bakugou actually say something that wasn't an insult?_

Mayumi stayed silent as she stared at the train tracks below the platform.

"My cousin introduced that band to me." Mayumi muttered.

"He has good taste, then."

"Yeah… I hope he still does."

* * *

Mayumi and Bakugou went down on the station of their district, and Bakugou still hasn't returned Mayumi's phone.

"Seriously, Bakugou, I need that."

"For what? You've got a fight soon, or something?" He asked, scrolling randomly throughout Mayumi's phone.

"Not with the summer camp. The Manager was eyeing a fight next week, but it's within the duration of the summer camp." Mayumi explained, both of them walking through the town towards the suburban area of the district.

"Tell me if you've got a fight," Bakugou muttered.

"What, you'll bet against me and wait for my ass to get kicked?" Mayumi asked, scoffing.

"Hell yeah," Bakugou said, and Mayumi rolled her eyes. _Typical_. "But I'm also expecting that you'll kick the shit out of whoever it is you're fighting, and knock their lights out. I'm expecting you to win." Bakugou suddenly said, and Mayumi stopped in her tracks, looking at Bakugou, who stopped in front of a corner convenience store.

"Come on, Shit Face." He suddenly said, gesturing for her to follow.

"What the hell, Bakugou?"

"You hungry or not? I don't do this often, not even with Shitty Hair, so you better enjoy this while it lasts." Bakugou said, opening the door of the convenience store. Mayumi followed Bakugou around, and he just looked at her as if he was expecting her to do something else.

"What, you don't want anythin'?" He asked, and Mayumi raised her brow.

"Are you serious?" She asked, and Bakugou let out an exasperated sigh and grabbed a handful of packed bread and pastries from a counter, along with a large extra hot cup ramen. Once he paid for everything, he handed Mayumi some of the bread that he bought without even looking at it.

"A cinnamon roll and a cheese bun." Mayumi read the labels, and Bakugou glared at her.

"If you're so goddamn picky about it, give it away or somethin'."

"Hey, I ain't complaining about free food!" Mayumi exclaimed, unwrapping the plastic of the cinnamon roll as they continued to walk to the direction of the Manager's gym. They walked in some sort of odd, yet satisfying silence, when Mayumi spoke up.

"Bakugou, why is it like you're being extra nice to me?" Mayumi asked as she and Bakugou silently ate and tore through the food that he bought. Mayumi shoved her hands in the pockets of her baggy shorts once she was done eating, while Bakugou just stayed silent. "Don't think I haven't noticed how you've been your usual cranky self today. Buying food for me just proves my point."

Bakugou still stayed silent as they continued walking. He was looking at everything but her.

Mayumi decided to let the subject drop. She had more chances of getting a clam to open up with her bare hands than Bakugou saying anything to her –especially if it was about himself.

"I passed the exam," Bakugou suddenly said. Mayumi looked up at him and stayed silent, knowing by his tone that whatever he was going to say was something that he won't talk about again. "I passed the exam, but it didn't feel like a win at all. I passed out just when I was needed, and had to have that stupid Deku to haul my ass out like I needed saving, like I wasn't good enough or something." He confessed, although there was no weakness in his voice; only anger.

"I still need you. I'm not good enough, yet"

Mayumi suddenly stopped in her tracks and looked at him, disbelief in her eyes.

"You're so full of bullshit!" Mayumi exclaimed, and Bakugou stopped and looked at her, the look in his eyes unreadable.

"First of all, what the hell is your deal with Midoriya? He's a good guy, and he even saved your sorry ass at the end of the exam, so at least be damn grateful that you passed, because there are some people who didn't." Mayumi started, remembering the crushing defeat of Kirishima, Sato, Mina, and Kaminari. "Second, you're plenty strong, so don't go spouting out shit, saying you're weak. You're not, and if you really are weak, that's because you've let the false mindset of your weakness lead you."

Mayumi knew that she was probably risking her friendship with Bakugou again, but she didn't care. He needed to hear this.

"Stop thinking that you're weak because other people make you weak. At the end of the day, it's only you that would hinder yourself from reaching your one hundred percent. I saw how you tried that big-ass blast in the arena, and believe me, I know that shit like that's supposed to hurt. If you're willing to break your body just to become stronger for even just a second, then you're even more stupid than I took you for. Risks are things that should be taken with caution, and not because you just want to. Fucking stupid!" Mayumi exclaimed, smacking the side of Bakugou's head. This seemed to break Bakugou's reverie during Mayumi's sermon, and his eyes regained their usual fire.

"What the fuck was that for, Shit Face?!" He asked, glaring at Mayumi.

"You were fucking stupid, and you needed a smack on the head! Get it cleared, and stop thinking too much about it! You were great in your exam, dammit, and you did a lot better than most of the people in the class! Stop whining about it!" Mayumi exclaimed, stomping off towards another. Bakugou followed her, seething.

"Where the fuck are you going?! Your apartment's the other way, idiot!"

"Milk tea and Boba! You're stressing me out so much that I need one!"

"You're such a pig! You're gonna get fat, Shit Face!"

"Well, who the fuck'll care? I'll just burn it all anyway! Just leave me and my food alone, dammit!

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> P.S. Have you guys seen the latest chapters of the BNHA manga? Bakugou-centric chapters, yoww!
> 
> P.P.S. Not at all related to BNHA, but do any of you know Assassination Classroom? It was one of the animes that filled the void that the wait for BNHA4 has left me with. I love Karma so much, and I'd really love know what the hell would happen if he and Bakugou get to meet hahaha


	15. Mayumi vs The Wild Wild Pussycats

"You'll make her drink her vitamins."

"Yeah."

"Always be with her, okay? Don't leave her out of your sight."

"Sure."

"If she goes to labour, call me!"

"And what, you'll come running from the middle of nowhere?"

"Damn straight!"

"Just get your mind off her for a bit. Take a break and enjoy, for once."

Mayumi was walking towards U.A., along with the Manager beside her. She told him that he didn't really have to accompany her to see her off, but the Manager said that he had nothing better to do. Even for an underground organization, the UFR was in off season, and fights were scarce to come by during the summer. They would usually boom at around September, and it would usually start with fights against the rank one fighter. The Manager was supposed to schedule a fight this week, but after learning of the summer camp, he immediately called it off.

"What's there to enjoy? It's still goddamn training. I ain't getting any rest there." Mayumi muttered, and slung her duffel bag over her shoulder. The Manager suddenly wracked out a cough that sounded as if his lungs would jump out any second. He dropped the hand bag that he was carrying for Mayumi, and brought a white handkerchief to his mouth. Mayumi stopped walking, and looked at the Manager, who leaned on his brand new Mahogany cane.

"Hey, you all right?" Mayumi asked, walking up to the Manager and placing a hand behind his back.

"Eh, been working up a cough three days ago." The Manager said, standing up straight and keeping a handkerchief in his pocket.

"You should get that looked at," Mayumi said as they started walking once more at a slower pace. "With all your money, I don't think that anything you have can't be treated."

"Heh, whatever. Doctors are a scam. You pay a hellofa lot of money just for a few scribbles on paper that you can probably get somewhere else for a cheaper price," The Manager grumbled. Mayumi just stopped and glared at the Manager, who also stopped to look at her. "What?"

"Come on, stop being cheap. I know you have more money to last you two lifetimes." Mayumi said, and the Manager sighed and rolled his eyes.

"All right, fine. I know a guy. I'll visit him on the weekend." The Manager grumbled, and Mayumi nodded in satisfaction, before they continued walking again. As Mayumi and the Manager neared U.A., she could see her classmates getting all riled up and ready for summer camp. However, knowing that it would still be training, she felt far from celebrating the summer camp.

"Looks like this is where I let you go, huh?" The Manager said, and Mayumi hummed. Mayumi turned to the Manager, who handed her the hand bag that he was carrying for her. Mayumi took it in her hand, before she dropped it and hugged the Manager tightly.

"Idiot, make sure to go to the doctor, okay?" Mayumi said, and the Manager just simply patted her back with on hand, before softly pulling her away from me.

"Don't go sentimental on me now, y'here? You said it yourself. Nothing's untreatable for me." He grumbled, and Mayumi gave him one last hug, before she pulled away and picked up her bag.

"You call me, okay? I wanna know how you and Baby are doing!"

"Jesus, it's not like you're migrating again or somethin'! It's just three days! Ain't nothin's gonna happen!"

* * *

Mayumi's never been on a road trip in Japan, yet.

She's been to Sapporo, once, but that's just because they needed to visit a family friend who was passing by, and she was asleep for most of the time. Whenever visiting a new place, Mayumi would always want to know how green and pure the place is, even after industrialization and urban areas hit them like a freight train. So while her classmates slept during their six hour long bus trip, she had her eyes glued to the fast paced green pastures that they passed. She had her chin rested on her hand and was looking outside with wide eyes.

As much as this country gave her nothing but bad memories, she can't blame herself for falling in love with the scenery.

Mayumi was enjoying her solo seat at the back of the bus, her back leaning against the window as she propped her feet up on the seat. Nearly everyone on the bus was asleep, save for a few who silently chatted, so she didn't mind her manners for the meantime. Besides, she was wearing her tights today, and not her stockings, and another layer of shorts underneath her skirt. She would be fine.

She was silently viewing the passing scenery, music blasting through her earpods, when she saw someone flop back on the other back seat, right across where she was facing. Mayumi turned to see her blonde protégé, sitting cross legged on the seat as he leaned on the glass window of the bus. She just looked at him, and he glared at her. Although, his glare lacked the usual bite that they had. It was as if he was tired.

"The fuck you lookin' at? Isn't this damned seat free?" He grumbled, removing his uniform jacket to put it over his torso. Mayumi just shrugged and raised her hands, before minding her own business again with the passing pastures outside of the bus. She heard Bakugou let out, what seemed to be, a defeated sigh before he leaned back on the glass window. Through the crossbreed of rock and lo-fi music that pumped through Mayumi's ears, she could faintly hear Bakugou speak across her.

"I get sick in the aisle seats. Fuckin' annoying."

Funny. Mayumi had the same thing, too.

* * *

"Fuck, is this even legal?!"

Mayumi didn't know what to expect from the summer camp. Besides the fact that it was extra training, she didn't know where they would be going, and what else she was to expect. When the bus made a stop at the side of the mountains, Mayumi immediately knew that something was off. With her mother being a teacher, and after all of the many field trips that she had taken, she knew that no school in the right mind would drop their students off for a bathroom break at the side of the mountain.

Well, U.A. was a school that wasn't in the right mind, anyways.

That was how Mayumi found herself jogging –or parkouring- along the vast forest, running away from god-knows-what. Their teachers and their instructors ejected them from the cliff that they stood on, and dumped them at the edge of the forest that surrounded their camp site. They were all expected to walk to the campsite, and just when they were about to, huge dirt monsters came out of the blue and started to attack them. That led them to their class' current predicament.

"Ojiro-san, how far are we from the campsite?" Mayumi asked from below as their class came to a light jog, all of them cautiously making their way through the forest.

"About halfway, now, Yumi-san." Ojiro said as he swung from the tree tops. They had a system going on as they treaded through the forest. Jirou and Shoji were in charge of surveillance, while Ojiro and Uraraka navigated them by hopping from branch to branch and peeking above the tree line, given that both of them can easily jump from branch to branch. At the front was Iida and Bakugou, while Midoriya and Todoroki stayed at the rear. Mayumi stayed behind the front with Kirishima and Mineta as Bakugou and Iida's back-up, while Satou and Sero stayed behind to back up Midoriya and Todoroki. The rest stayed in the middle, on their guard and ready to back up either rear or front.

"Dammit, what fresh hell is U.A. giving to us?!" Mayumi exclaimed at the forest. Given the parkour training that she was taking, her stamina grew, and so did her strength. With that, she was able to land punches and kicks with more power, and she was able to last longer. However, they've boon going on for almost three hours, now, and although they weren't always fighting the monsters that their teachers kept on sending, they were starting to wear their quirks' limits out.

"Let's just save our breath, Yumi-san, and continue on," Iida said in front of her. She noticed the faint black puffs of smoke that was coming out of the engines in his calves. "We don't know how many more monsters are after us." He said, and Mayumi let out a tired sigh. The dirt monsters that attacked them awhile ago haven't been as active lately. Three hours ago, they were showing up left and right all over the place, and now, it decreased to at least two every hour, if not one.

When they saw light at their horizon, just beyond the line of trees ahead of them, they knew that they were finally at the camp site.

The moment that Mayumi saw the lodge that they were staying in, Mayumi let out a sigh of relief. It was in that moment when she felt the strain of her quirk on her, and she felt drained –that, and the old injury that she had on her arm was starting to throb from its overuse.

She caught up to Kirishima, who was walking sloppily and seemed as if he would fall over any time now. She leaned on his shoulder, and he slung his arm around hers, both of them taking uneven steps towards the camping lodge.

When they reached the front of the lodge, Mayumi and Kirishima dropped on the ground, Kirishima holding on to his stomach with an obvious growl emitting from it, and with Mayumi stretching her shaking arm.

"I'm so hungry!" Kirishima whined as he sat up with an arm supporting him. Mayumi was lying flat on her back, staring at the orange sky above them.

"I could eat a while tray of smoked fish and tofu spring rolls with a steaming bowl of rice," Mayumi muttered, lost in her own food dream. "Or bread pan grilled in butter, with mango, tomato and cilantro salsa on top."

"Yamiiii, stop it." Kirishima whined, closing his eyes as his hungry state visualised everything that Mayumi said.

"Grilled chicken satay, with steaming shrimp, bathed in garlic butter." Mayumi mumbled, before she felt a hand slap to cover her mouth.

"Yami, stop torturing me." Kirishima said, and Mayumi just lifted his weak hand off her mouth, and turned her head to the side. What she saw amused her, as a blonde pro-hero, one of the Wild Pussycats, fawning and fussing over Iida, Todoroki, Midoriya, and Bakugou. She could faintly hear her saying things like 'waiting for you' or 'suitable age'. Mayumi could only guess that she'd got her eyes on the four of them, hoping that she'd catch them.

It was supposed to be funny, but Mayumi found herself staring back at the orange sky once again, a heavy sigh leaving her.

What the hell was she feeling?

* * *

Mayumi never once did care about what her body looked like.

She was born a chubby baby, and grew healthily, neither getting thin nor fat. She joined a varsity once, getting a bit of shape, and eventually quit, because her grade started dropping. When she became too focused with her studies, she grew a bit wider, and to solve that (and probably to release the stress and tension that was built up from school work), Mayumi was sent to a mixed martial arts gym. Even then, Mayumi didn't really bother to watch her diet. She ate what she felt like eating, and just burned it off eventually with a midnight jog, or through training. As girls around her started to complain about being too skinny or too fat, Mayumi complained about hearing their bitching, and not appreciating how they look like.

However, when Mayumi went into the hot springs in nothing but a towel, Mayumi felt a drop of doubt enter her mind.

Inside the hot springs for girls were her female classmates, all bare as the day they were born. Obviously, Mayumi was not new to the female anatomy, but she had only ever had male cousins. Nothing could ever prepare her for the sight of six naked ladies waving at her to come join them.

_What that Grapist would do just to get a piece of this._

However, Mayumi thought about it too soon, because from the other side of the huge wooden barrier, she could faintly hear the boys roughing around and splashing water.

"Yumi-san! Come join us!" Mina exclaimed excitedly as she waved over to the underground fighter. Mayumi hid behind a boulder, quickly shedding off her towel and slipping into the warm springs. In an instant, Mayumi felt the tension from today's training drift away with the steam from the pools. Mayumi wished that she had her own personal hot springs in her bathroom.

"Nice, right?" She heard Mina, who waded beside her. "Have you ever tried swimming in hot springs?"

"Mountainside springs? Yeah. But hot springs? Never. It's my first time." Mayumi said, leaning back on the soft shaped rocks, sitting on one as she let herself go. She thought of cooking the Manager a legitimate meal when she comes back. Spring rolls made of smoked fish, tofu, cilantro, and watercress sounded nice. She'd make spicy citrus vinaigrette as its sauce, topped with steaming hot rice. Then, she'd make soft custard cake for dessert. Hits her right in the feels when it comes to home, but she doesn't mind. The Manager is her home, now, and she'd be damned if she'd let memories of her relatives ruin it for her. She's gonna make new memories with the Manager, because he deserves that much after everything that he has done for her.

"Yumi-san, let's talk!"

That sentence broke the spell that she was in, and her eyes snapped open to see the girls in her class closing in on her, cornering her to her spot with a glint in their eyes that Mayumi knew all too well. It was the same glint that girls often get when they hear the tiniest slip of gossip in the rumour mill. It was that glint that often shone when a friend would say that they don't know how to apply make-up. It's the same glint that

_Oh shit, they got me._

* * *

"Eh?! Yumi-san, you had a boyfriend?!"

"Once, but he was an asshole. He wasn't man enough to do shit, so it's just right that we broke it off."

"Yumi-san, that's cold!"

The girls were now gathered in a circle near the edge of the pool. After a close encounter with the Grapist –which was averted thanks to Koda, the nephew of one of the Pussycats, Mayumi found her tongue starting to come loose. The more she immersed herself in the steaming waters of the hot springs, the more she felt her muscles unwind the years of built up tension in them, and eventually, it was as if every muscle in her body relaxed. Mayumi was leaning back on one of the boulders, eyes closed, but lazily listening to the flowing conversation of the girls, only speaking when somebody asks her something.

_On a regular day, I wouldn't even let myself be cornered by them._

"But how about in the class? Don't tell me that you haven't taken interest on anyone from the class?" Hagakure asked, and Mayumi shrugged. Since entering U.A., everything just happened so fast that she never really stopped to notice the boys in her class. It was the least of her problems, and Mayumi thought that it would have been better if she never thought about it.

"Yeah, you and Bakugou hang out a lot after classes, right?" Mina asked, and Mayumi opened one eye and looked at the pink skinned girl.

"Where'd you pick that up?"

_Damn, Bakugou's gonna kill me if he finds out that people know about him training with me. He probably wanted to keep it a secret._

"Kiri talks," Mina simply said, shrugging. "He's been telling me that you and Bakugou had been training together for the past months."

"Yumi, I didn't know that Bakugou was your type!" Hagakure said, and Mayumi's eyes went wide, her face starting to get flushed. She didn't know if it was from the heat, or from something else.

"Let's make things clear, okay? Bakugou and I have nothing going on. He just so happens to go to the gym that my grandfather owns," Mayumi said, suddenly sinking herself deep enough so that her chin started to touch the water. _And he's holding a secret of mine that he better not tell, because he's gonna be more than beat up if he does._ "Besides, Bakugou's not my type."

"Eh?! I'm surprised that you don't like Bakugou-san, Yumi. You guys seem to go along pretty well."

"Eh, I don't know. He's really not my type. I'm into tall guys," _Jesus, it's a good thing that Bakugou's not here, or else he'd murder me._ "I like 'em passionate about what they want to do in life. But I also want them quiet, and down to earth."

A chorus of 'oh's sounded from the girls. It made a lot of sense, now.

"Someone like Shoji-san, perhaps?"

"Maybe. He's not that bad, I think. Quiet, tall, mysterious, great hair," Mayumi replied. "But whatever I don't even think about it. Trust me when I say that I'm not interested in anyone –whether inside or outside our class." Mayumi said, and after that, the girls finally stopped pestering her about boys and moved on to fashion talk. However, Uraraka, who sat beside her all this time, looked at her with a raised eyebrow that Mayumi could read like a book.

" _Are you sure?"_

In all honesty, Mayumi's last sentence stuck to her throat like lead without really knowing why.

* * *

"Did I tell you to stop? Pick up your pace! Show me what beyond plus ultra looks like!"

Mayumi heaved out heavy yell, continuing the routine that one of the Pussycats taught her –and to think that this was just a warm up. She picked up the pace of the knee raises and the punches that she did, and matched her pace with Midoriya, who did the same thing beside her. The both of their quirks had the same nature, which was a power up type. That meant that the power of their quirk depended on their own physical capabilities, and if they didn't improve it at all, then they could kiss the hero course goodbye.

Of course, it was impossible to accelerate the growth of Midoriya and Mayumi's physical capabilities in a span of a single week. However, U.A. didn't believe in the impossible, and doing the impossible was their specialty. So, no matter how crazy their training was, Mayumi and Midoriya gave it a shot, and gave it their all.

Mayumi let out a wry smile as Midoriya let out his own huffs that sounded like shouts each time he raised his knee and fist in the air. Eventually, Mayumi found herself doing the same thing, too. Remembering what she learned from her own training, when one gets groggy from the fatigue, one should let out a shout to release the groggy feeling and to renew the spirits. It was the same as a warrior letting out a battle cry in the middle of a battlefield.

They probably continued doing it for a solid hour, until Tiger, the Pussycat that was in charge of them, suddenly growled at them.

"Stop!" He said, and Mayumi and Midoriya stopped, hunching over and panting heavily. "Now, hit me! Give me your best punches and kicks!"

"Yessir!" Midoriya yelled, his fists curling up before he activated his quirk and sent a punch to Tiger, who easily dodged it by bending his body.

"That was weak! I need to see and feel the ultra in that plus ultra punch!" Tiger yelled at Midoriya, who seemed to never run out of energy.

"Yessir!"

_Midoriya, why are you so energetic?_

"Young lady, it's your turn! Hit me!" Tiger exclaimed, and Mayumi let out a yell of her own, before snapping to her fighting stance. She clenched her fist, and tried to send a roundhouse kick to Tiger, using her quirk with everything she's got. If it could easily be manifested, like in the form of ice or fire, what Mayumi was exerting right now could be compared to how Todoroki often uses his quirk –with brute force.

Mayumi's roundhouse kick was unsuccessful, for Tiger had evaded her kick by flipping back.

"You're too slow! Another five minute routine, then try again! Break that weak quirk apart!" He exclaimed, and Midoriya suddenly dropped on the grass, obviously exhausted. No matter how much Mayumi wanted to follow her green haired friend to the ground, she wasn't going to give up –not when it involved fighting. She was the Iron Lady, for God's sake! She was the current second rank in the UFR, and although not undefeated, she gave a damn good fight. She wouldn't let this hunk of a bendy hero tell her off just like that.

Mayumi sent a flurry of flying kicks, applying the bit of gymnastics that she learned from her parkour lessons. She alternated between sending out punches, kicks, and sweeps just to try to touch Tiger –even just pull his hair.

"I am not -...fucking-... weak!" Mayumi pushed her quirk even further, feeling it starting to take a toll on her old arm injury and for it taking a toll on her chest. Mayumi sent a jab towards his face, before dropping to attempt to sweep him from the floor. However, just like in her finals, her stamina was starting to wane and eventually, she was left running on her own adrenaline to power her up just to be able to hit Tiger. However, he was more flexible, making it easy for him to evade her attacks.

Tiger must have sensed how Mayumi was stretching herself to the limit, and suddenly grabbed her by the arm and slammed her down to the ground, eventually lying flat on her back beside Midoriya. Mayumi could see black spot blocking her vision, and she was aware that she was breathing heavily. However, it felt as if the air wasn't enough. She was somehow aware of voices calling out to her. She thought it was Tiger's voice, but he didn't drawl, so it was probably Aizawa.

It felt as if she just blinked, because one moment, she was lying on the grass in the middle of training, and then the next, she was inside the lounge, on the couch. Mayumi blinked a few times, before sitting up to look around the room. With her sat a kid –probably ten years old, by the looks of it, who wore a red cap with gold horns protruding.

"You're awake." He said plainly, and Mayumi rolled her eyes.

"No, I'm asleep, kid."

"Whatever. You're a damn poor excuse for a hero, if you're just gonna faint the moment a huge guy slams you down." He said, glaring at her from where he sat.

_What the hell is with this kid? This is why I hate kids._

"What the hell is your problem, kid?" Mayumi asked, feeling her muscles starting to ache. She was tired as hell, and she didn't have the patience to deal with this bullshit.

"If you're that weak, it would be better for you to just quit being a hero," He said, and Mayumi froze in her seat. _Is he fucking serious?_ "You're no good at all, and the world would be better without you being a hero."

_Who the hell is he to say shit like that?!_

"Okay, listen up here, you br-"

"Nitta-san, you're awake!" She heard from the doorway, and Mayumi saw the brown haired Pussycat, Mandalay, enter the room, holding a glass of water. "I hope Koda didn't give you too much trouble." She said, placing down the glass on the coffee table in front of Mayumi. As she took the glass, the kid stood up and walked away without a single word.

"He's your nephew, right?" Mayumi asked, getting the glass of water and gulping it down.

"Yes. I'm afraid he's got problems when it comes to his manners, especially when he's with us, heroes. I apologize if he said anything out of line."

_You, heroes. The kid's right. How the hell am I gonna be a hero if I'm weak shit? I'm probably gonna be a UFR fighter for the rest of my life until I die or get permanent brain damage from a fight._

"It's alright," Mayumi said, waving it off. "Nothing he said, I've never thought of."

"Don't be too hard on yourself," Mandalay said, picking up the empty glass on the coffee table. "Developing your quirk is difficult, because you have to break physical and mental barriers. You won't get it on the first try, and that's okay –as long as you get where you need to be. Just take things slow, okay?" She said, smiling at her, and Mayumi just looked at the pro hero in front of her. This was the first time she had an actual conversation with a pro hero that wasn't her teacher. Before entering U.A., Mayumi always thought that pro heroes were celebrities –untouchable, always in the limelight, and maybe a bit snobbish. Even when pro heroes taught her at school, they still felt so untouchable, because they were teachers. They're supposed to know more than you. However, Mandalay seemed to be so down to earth. She didn't give off that vibe that she was a pro hero, and that she had prestige, fame, and fortune. She seemed to give an actual damn about them, and how they'd grow up to be. Mayumi instantly liked her.

"Oh, by the way, your classmates should be in the dining area outside, now. Maybe you should join them."

* * *

"Yumi! You're awake!"

Midoriya was the first to greet her the moment she went out to the cooking area. He was probably dead worried about her, given that he was with her when she went batshit crazy on Tiger and passed out.

"Don't sweat it. I'm fine." Mayumi said, waving him his obvious unspoken question to her.

"Are you feeling better, now, at least?"

"Yeah, yeah. I said don't sweat it, alright? Now, what's happening?"

Mayumi found herself in the middle of some sort of a systemized pandemonium. Each had their respective tasks, separated to peeling vegetables, chopping and slicing stations, and the stove station. Each had their own thing going on, and each their own problems, In the peeling station, people worked too slowly, and Iida was trying his best to get them to speed up their work. However, Mayumi couldn't blame them, knowing that they were probably dead tired from the extensive training that they went through. In the stove station, Bakugou managed to blow up one stove, and moved on to the slicing and chopping stations the moment that he did. She was stuck in the middle of a crowd of tired students who'd want to do nothing but eat, now.

"Hey, we better speed things up, fast," Mayumi said, observing the scene. "It's starting to get dark out, and as much as possible, we'd like to cook while there's light." She said, moving to the peeling station and grabbing a peeler and a potato from the tub of carrots and potatoes. With skill she honed from a lifetime of practice, Mayumi slid the peeler through the potatoes with ease, managing to peel the vegetables within half a minute, which was three times faster than the other students in her group.

"Yumi-san, thank you so much for your help!" Iida said, pointing at her deft hands that slid through the carrot she held. "You have a talent for cooking, it seems!"

"It's just a hobby," Mayumi said, picking the last potato in the bucket, peeling it, and dropping it on another one. "Nothing special."

_More like a necessity of living alone._

Mayumi tried to lift the bucket filled with potatoes and carrots with her right hand, and she almost dropped it when she felt the joints on her elbow send a searing pain through her nerves. Mayumi hissed and set down the bucket, before lifting it with her left, instead, using her quirk to help her lift it. As she delivered the peeled vegetables to the slicing station, she remembered what Mandalay told her awhile ago.

" _Take it slow, okay?"_

* * *

Although she's had better food, this one was not so bad. It was either they managed to make the best out of the instant curry mix they were given, or maybe she was just too hungry to care about the taste of the food. Mayumi helped out with the dishes that night, even if doing the dishes was always bad news for her.

"Yumi, is there something wrong?" Uraraka asked as she rinsed the dishes that Mayumi lathered with soap.

"Nah, just something stupid comes up to my mind when I wash the dishes." She said, continuing to soap the dishes, albeit a little harder.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Uraraka asked. Mayumi just smiled and let out a huff, shaking her head.

"Well, back in the days, my parents and I used to live with my extended family. Cousins, aunts, and our grandparents all under one roof."

"Isn't that fun, though? There's so much of your family, and all of you are together."

"It was, at first, until we lived there long enough to get to know each other," Mayumi said, continuing to soap the dishes a bit more vigorously. "My cousins, who I treated like my brothers, and my aunt were lazy pieces of shits that never did anything around the house. My parents and I, we'd clean, we'd cook, and we'd wash, and they'll just dirty the place up and laze around all day." Mayumi said, finally finishing soaping all of the dishes, and placing the sponge on its container by the sink.

"Why didn't you give them a piece of your mind, then? I would have, if I was in your shoes." Uraraka said, washing the last of the dishes and placing them on the rack to dry.

"Well, we lived in a small house that would make it hard for us to avoid each other," Mayumi said, rinsing her hands from the soap suds and wiping her hands at the side of her pants. "And besides, I'm more of the "let-karma-deal-with-you" type of person." She said as she and Uraraka started to walk back to the lodge. They were nearing the entrance when Jirou ran out from the entrance, a phone in hand.

"Yumi-san! Your phone's been ringing nonstop! You've had seven missed calls from your grandfather!"

* * *

"Nakamura-san! What happened? I left my phone at the dorm and didn't see your calls! Is everything alright?!"

Mayumi stayed outside of the camping lodge, preferring the privacy the cold night air offered to her, rather than inside the lodge. She knew that if anyone were to hear how her conversations transpired between her and the Manager, they'd have their real suspicions about her relations with the old syndicate billionaire.

"Your bitch is contracting."

Mayumi almost dropped her phone.

"OH MY GOD, HOW IS SHE?!"

Mayumi could hear faint whining from the background, and Mayumi felt her throat constrict at the sound. She knew that this was bound to happen. Her Baby was in pain, now, and there's nothing she can do about it.

"She's nearly on her second one. I hate to break it to ya, but the first one didn't make it." The Manager said, his tone grave and sincere.

"Dammit!" Mayumi felt herself sitting down, even though she knew that her butt would be dirt covered by the time that she stands up.

"It was my fault. I came back from my check up with a doctor that I knew way back. Knew I could get a discount from him, but damn, it was too damn far! All away across Camino Ward! Anyways, I came back, and there was blood splattered around her. Thought something happened, but I saw the umbilical cord that she tried to bite off. She bit wrong." The Manager said, and Mayumi felt herself tear up at that. She could imagine her Baby's innocent face –lost and confused as to why her firstborn wasn't moving.

"How ya doing there, kid?" The Manager asked, and Mayumi, through her teary eyes and shaky voice, managed to let out a laugh.

"Really? You call me, tell me that my dog is giving birth and explained to me in detail about how her first puppy died, and then you ask me how I'm doing in the camp? You're horrible." Mayumi said, letting out a teary laugh, and she could hear the Manager huff from the other end of the line.

"You're doing shit, aren't you?" He asked, and Mayumi released a sigh, letting a few tears fall from her eyes.

"It's fucking intense, that's what. They have me training harder than you ever did to me, and they called my attacks worthless. I passed out awhile ago, because I gave my all in trying to hit the instructor that called my attacks weak and slow." Mayumi sniffed, and the Manager let out a laugh that seemed to evolve into a cackle.

"But you've never fainted in your goddamn life!"

"I know, it sucks. I'm weak shit."

"That instructor must have pissed you off good."

"He was annoying! He had us do some intense routine workout that made my legs feel like they were on fire and being torn apart! Then he'd have us try to hit him while we were dead tired!"

Another cackle sounded from the other end of the line.

"You must have looked like an idiot, waving around at him," The Manager said. Mayumi was about to let out a string of colourful insults, when she heard a whine from the other end of the line. "Oh shit, the second one's about to come out. Listen, kid, this bitch here is gonna take all night for her to pop out her pups, so I'll just call you tomorrow when they've been welcomed to the outside world, alright?" She heard the Manager say followed by some squelching noises on the background.

"Alright. Ew, sounds fucking disgusting. I'm hanging up now."

* * *

After the phone call with the Manager, Mayumi headed straight to the girls' dormitories. Mayumi was on her way back when she passed by the common area and saw a figure sitting on the dimmed couch. Sitting there was a person with hair that she'd recognize anywhere.

"I don't know why I'm surprised that you aren't dead tired yet," Mayumi said, flopping down beside the explosive blonde, who seemed to jump from his seat when she did. Mayumi looked at him, and saw the all too familiar bag that he pressed to his forearm, which was accompanied by an arm compressor that he wore. "Hey, you okay? What happened there?"

It suddenly clicked to Mayumi that it was probably from the overuse of his quirk today. His training was different from the others, based from what Mayumi saw. During her own training, it was impossible to miss Bakugou's explosions, followed by a colourful string of curses. However, Mayumi couldn't blame him for that. The nature of his training was intense, and Mayumi couldn't imagine that having to plunge your hands in a barrel of hot water isn't a pleasant experience. Mayumi looked closely at his arm, and saw that his hand and fingers seemed to be twitching.

"The hell do you care? You're just gonna fuckin' rat me out to the girls later on, aren't ya? At least I didn't faint in the middle of my goddamn training like some weak shit!"

Honestly, Mayumi doesn't know what they hell was always going on in his mind. He was always trying to cheer people up with his colourful insults that he pulls out from god-knows-where.

"The hell? I'm just asking if you were alright. Jesus, can't a friend be concerned? You're like a fuckin' firecracker, Jesus."

Mayumi didn't know if she and Bakugou were indeed friends. However, after everything that they've gone through, and after everything he knew about her, Mayumi would like to think that they were.

"You're up so damn late tonight, huh? Missin' home so much?" Bakugou said, that shit eating smirk on his face that made Mayumi want to punch him.

"You're such an idiot, then, if you think being homesick is gonna keep me up all night," Mayumi said, leaning back on the couch, taking in the sensation of the soft cushion on her back. "Besides, what the hell is a home anyways? Been a long time since I've lost one that I don't even know what that word means anymore, so I don't think I could get homesick."

It took Mayumi a few seconds before she realized what she just let slip past her lips. There was silence between them, mostly because Bakugou didn't know what to say after her slip up, and Mayumi was trying to think of something to say that would make things less awkward than it already is.

_Great, now I've made it fucking awkward. Way to go, Yumi._

"Gimme your arm. Lemme have a look at it." Mayumi suddenly said, motioning him to give her his arm as a means to distract him from what she just said. Bakugou just looked at her as if she grew two heads. He looked at her straight in the eye, and it was the first time that Mayumi had actually noticed how red his irises were. Red always reminded Mayumi of passion, and it couldn't have been more fitting to Bakugou.

"Why the fuck would I do that?!"

"Because if you don't fix that arm up by tonight, then you wouldn't be in a hundred percent state, dumbass." She said, glaring at him, while he just stared at her, the same expression on his face.

"I don't need your help, goddammit!"

"It's a little too late for that, dontcha think? I mean I am training you." Mayumi countered, and this seemed to enrage Bakugou even more.

"You're a piece of shit, you know that?"

"Yes, I do. I was born as one, and I forever will be, so would you just give me your goddamned arm?" Mayumi said, holding out her hand to him. He just looked at her for a second, before rolling his eyes and sighing.

"Fine! Fuck, whatever!" He exclaimed, slamming down the warm compress beside him and ripping off the arm compressor from his forearm. He held out his arm at Mayumi, who scooted closer to hold his arm. She tried lightly pressing down on his arm, and he hissed at her. "You better know what you're doing."

"Does it feel like an acupuncture gone wrong on your arm and palms?" Mayumi asked, and Bakugou went silent, before grunting in response. Mayumi shifted her hold on Bakugou's hand, starting by pinching the tip of his fingers.

"My mother was a teacher for Cookery and Baking. When she got a bit old, and after a whole day of kneading and lifting heavy pots and pans, she'd always complain about feeling like there were pins and needles on her muscles and in her hand," Mayumi said, before switching to sliding the tendons of Bakugou's palms between her index and thumb. She felt the tendons between the bones of his fingers, and started with the base, near the wrist. She lightly pinched it, and slid it up, gently massaging his palm. "My father studied reflexology on his spare time, and he used my mother as a his test subject, heh. When his hands starting giving up, he taught it to me, and I became the family masseuse."

Mayumi continued to press her fingernails down on Bakugou's open palm, alternating it with pressing down on it and rubbing small circles on it. His hands were like a sculptor's –calloused from being used too much, but one could tell that it was dexterous just by looking at it.

"The pain runs up until here, noh?" Mayumi asked, yawning a bit and letting her old accent and dialect loose for a bit. She traced down the veins from the base of Bakugou's palm to the middle of his forearm, applying light pressure only to confirm her question when she saw him hide a wince. Mayumi lightly rubbed along the line of veins on his forearm, before picking up the warm compress that Bakugou was holding earlier, and pressed it down again on his arm.

"Don't use an arm compressor yet. Keep it in a warm compress and let it relax, then apply some liniment on it. It works fuckin' wonders on muscle pains. If it still hurts the following day, apply some liniment before wearing your arm sleeve." However, Mayumi knew that even if he would be in pain tomorrow, he wouldn't let his classmates, especially Midoriya, know by wearing an arm sleeve.

"Whatever. You didn't need to do that."

"You're welcome," Mayumi said, knowing better than to expect a 'thank you' from him. "And please, do yourself a favour. Don't use your quirk to the point that you're eventually gonna break your body. If you're gonna do it just to prove you're the best at everything, it'll just show that you're actually pretty stupid for letting yourself go like that."

With that, Mayumi left Bakugou on the couches of the common room, one question ringing through her mind.

_Mayumi, what the hell are you doing?_

* * *

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! A NEW CHAPTER FOR ALL OF YOU!!!
> 
> I am so excited for the next chapter!!! The reason why this took so long because I was so focused on the next chapter that I had no idea how to write this chapter without things being too rushed and dragging, since we all know what happens from the anime and manga.
> 
> You guys know what's gonna happen next ;)


	16. Mayumi vs The League

“There’s twenty one students in the class, and five are in the supplementary classes,” Midoriya muttered to himself. “Seven girls, and fourteen boys. With one girl, and four boys in the classes-”

“Midoriya,” Mayumi said, walking up to the green haired boy. “What number did you get?”

“Eight, but-”

“Great. So we’re together, then.” Mayumi said, showing her own slip of paper that showed the number eight in it.

Training continued on until the next day, and so far, everything has been uneventful. She apologized to Tiger that morning for suddenly going crazy on her attacks on him, and his response didn’t surprise her at all.

_“That was exactly what I wanted to see from you, Nitta! The fire in your spirit when you attacked me is the fire I want to see from you for the whole week of our training!”_

After the extensive training that they did and another night of cooking, their instructors brought them to the middle of a forest clearing, saying that they had to scare each other ‘till they piss their pants.

_Fan-fuckin’-tastic._

Mayumi might seem rough and callous around the edges and immune to the horrors that the world had to offer, but deep down inside, there was a secret that Mayumi kept that her parents –God rest their soul, brought to their graves: Mayumi hated anything that has to do with horror. She never watched a single horror movie ever since one of her friends did a prank on her back in the seventh grade. After attempting to watch her first horror movie during a sleepover, she went to the bathroom to pee, only to have her nearly piss again from a jump scare that one of her friends played on her. Her friend ended up with a loose molar from the punch that Mayumi gave him, and Mayumi swore never to watch any horror films again.

She was glad that she was paired with someone like Midoriya, who she could considered as one of the people who managed to anchor her down here in U.A..

“Oi! You shitty Deku, switch with me!” She heard from behind them, and Midoriya and Mayumi turned to see Bakugou walking up to them, his paper clenched in his hand.

“K-Kacchan?!”

“You and that GG bastard over there go along, right? Fucking switch with me, dammit!” He said, trying to snatch Midoriya’s paper from his hands. However, Midoriya was keeping the paper with the number out of the blonde teenager’s reach.

“K-Kacchan, I don’t think that we’re allowed to -”

“You wanna die, huh?!” Bakugou exclaimed, sparks starting to crackle from his palm which caught Midoriya off guard. Mayumi then stepped up and stood in front of Midoriya, arms crossed.

“Dude, when a guy says no, it means no,” Mayumi said, staring down her blonde protégé, who had his fists clenched.

“You’re siding with this idiot, huh Shit Face?”

“Yeah, cuz I know that he’s not gonna go laughing at me or leave me behind the moment I decide that I can’t handle this stupid activity.” Mayumi said, continuing her stare-down with Bakugou, who seemed relentless.

“You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about, Shit Face.”

“And you don’t know when to chill out, Firecracker,” Mayumi said, placing her hands on her hips. “Leave the guy alone, would ya?”

“Tch, didn’t take you for you to hang out with losers like Deku.” He said, shoving his hands in his pockets.

“Yeah, I hang out with them. I remember hanging out with you, though, ‘cuz –oh, well I dunno, kick your ass every time we spar.” Mayumi said, a shit-eating grin splitting on her face, and Bakugou seemed to seethe in his own way, his own smirk appearing on his face.

“I’m gonna get you next time, Shit Face –just you watch!”

“Oh yeah? I’ll hold you on to that!”

* * *

 

“Yumi, I have a question for you.”

“Hm?”

“Why did you decide to join an underground street fighting league?”

Mayumi and Midoriya were sitting beside each other on the dirt ground, both of them waiting for their turn in the accursed test. They were sitting silently, alternating between checking their cellular phones to star gazing to idle chat. However, after a moment of silence, Midoriya dropped the groundbreaking question on Mayumi out of nowhere, and the League fighter was taken aback.

“What made you think of that, all of a sudden?” Mayumi said, leaning back on her hands.

“I was thinking how we never talked about, you know, what happened that night in that fight.” Midoriya started, careful with how he approached the subject of Mayumi’s secret career.

“Is there anything to talk about in the first place?”

“N-No, I’m not saying that you have to explain yourself to us. I’m sure you have your reasons, but... I just wanted to know why it is you joined a fighting league.” Midoriya said, and Mayumi sighed, sitting up with her legs crossed, and her elbows resting on her knees.

“Well, to be honest, it was a lack of having something better to do with my life,” Mayumi said, staring at the ground in contemplation. “My parents died here in Japan, and after that, I didn’t have anywhere to go to, nor a plan to follow. The Manager, the old man that was with me, he found me and took me in right after my parents died. When he learned that I knew how to fight, he mentioned that he’s an audience of the UFR, and asked if I wanted to fight in it. After everything he’s done for me, I knew that I had to pay him back, so I agreed to it.”

_That’s right. I can’t do anything but fight. I’m that fucking useless._

“But you aren’t forced to join and fight, right, Yumi?”

“I guess at first, I felt as if it were that way. However, I grew to love fighting,” Mayumi said, a small smile plastered on her face. “It’s the uncertainty of fighting that’s always left me wanting more. I’m never gonna know what’s gonna happen next, so it’s up to me if I want to risk everything I have for it.”

“And you’re willing to risk yourself, Yumi? You could get seriously injured from all the fighting you do at a young age.” Midoriya warned, and Mayumi smiled.

“If so, then I’ll tell you to stop training and studying in U.A., because the Hero Course could be just as risky,” Mayumi reasoned out. “Besides, it’s not like I have anything left to lose.”

Little did Mayumi know that in Midoriya’s mind, he was stumbling on his thoughts –he didn’t know where to start. She had **everything** to lose: her title and prestige in the UFR, the dog that was waiting for her back in her small shed, and there was the chance that was given to her to study in U.A. and partially work beside All Might, the number one hero.

Mayumi hasn’t realized it, yet, but she was blessed and she had so much in her life. Midoriya made a mental side note to make her realize that from time to time.

Midoriya seemed as if he was about to retort, when he snapped his mouth close, sitting up straight. He looked around and sniffed, catching a faint scent of something foul drifting in the wind. Mayumi had burnt too much food in her life, and had witnessed too much burnt down things to know what that smell was.

“Something’s burning.” Mayumi stated, immediately standing up, and looking at the sky, only to see a faint blue glow in the distance. As Midoriya stood up, one of the Pussycats was dragged towards the tree line, and Mayumi swore that she heard something shatter –whether it was Pixie-Bob’s helmet or skull, Mayumi didn’t know.

A man in shades and man with a mutation quirk appeared from the tree line, and Mayumi knew from afar that they weren’t there to teach them on how to throw punches or endure the long use of their quirks.

Although still unsure of their purpose, Mayumi knows that their mere presence was something bad.

“What is the league doing here?!” Mineta asked, backing up. “I thought they made doubly sure?!”

“All of you! Go! You there, class representative,” Manadalay ordered while keeping her eyes on the threats that stood before them. “You’re in charge! Do not engage in any form of combat, do you understand me?!”

“Yes, ma’am!”

Their group was about to run back to the cabin when Midoriya stopped in his tracks, looking at Mandalay.

“Midoriya! Let’s go!” Mayumi exclaimed, worry starting to swirl at the pit of her stomach. Who were those people? What did Mineta mean by the league? There were still students in the forest –are they supposed to go and save them?

“Go on ahead!” Midoriya told them

_Is he fucking crazy?!_

“Mandalay! I know where he is!” Midoriya exclaimed, and Mayumi knew from the tone of his voice that whether or not Mandalay allows him to fetch whoever it was that he wanted to fetch, he’d do it anyway.

Mayumi wasn’t going to just let Midoriya do this alone.

* * *

 

“Midoriya, where are you going?!”

“I need to find Kota-kun!”

A small part of Mayumi whispered that she should forget the kid. He was rude, anyways. However, seeing the faint glow of blue in the distance, and the smell of burning trees had brought Mayumi into an unwanted trip down memory lane. She’d be damned to let that kid go through this alone. Without a moment of hesitation, Mayumi ran with Midoriya across the forest, sprinting towards what seemed to be an adobe.

“Who the hell would let a child go that far? What the fuck is that child thinking, hah?” Mayumi huffed as they dashed through trees.

“He didn’t want to be around us,” Midoriya explained as they leaped on the roots of the trees, activating each others’ quirks to go faster. “He doesn’t like heroes.”

 _Talk about coincidences,_ Mayumi thought as she dashed beside the green haired boy. Mayumi was stepping on top of a tree root, ready to leap over, when in a flash, blue surrounded her. Mayumi stopped in her tracks and backed up in time to watch a tree fall down on the spot where she previously stood.

Neither scream nor gasp came out of Mayumi’s throat as blue flames surrounded her. Her throat felt like two sandpapers grating at each other as she stood there, mouth open and staring at the blue flames that seemed to lick at the night sky.

Panic flooded Mayumi when she came close to the blue flames that were slowly eating away the fallen tree in front of her. She felt her knees buckle, nearly falling down from the uncontrollable shaking that was emitting from her body.

“Yumi!” She heard Midoriya’s voice from the other end of the wall of flames. However, Mayumi couldn’t answer.

_Blue flames..._

 “YUMI! ANSWER ME!”

This seemed to snap Mayumi out of her trance. Taking in a deep, shaky breath, she answered back.

“M-Midoriya, get to the kid,” Mayumi exclaimed from the other side of the flaming blue walls. “He needs you, ya idiot!” She exclaimed, backing away from the blue flames that seemed to climb higher and higher the more she stared at it.

“Yumi, I’ll look for help! Just hang on in there!”

“JUST GET TO THE FUCKING KID!”

“Yumi-”

“THAT KID NEEDS MORE OF A FUCKIN’ HERO RIGHT NOW THAN I DO, SO GET YOUR ASS MOVING, AND JUST LEAVE ME!”

She could find a way out of this... probably. If she died trying, it wasn’t like she’d be missed, anyways.

_Shit... So this is how I die, huh?_

“Yumi, I’ll come back for you!”

Mayumi was sure that at this point that Midoriya won’t come back for her.

Before Mayumi knew it, the blue flame that surrounded her, the beautiful colour spreading around the trees in a deadly dance. Mayumi felt the prickling heat from the flames nip and play at her skin. The blue flames hypnotized her, and the smoke surrounded her, paralyzing her.

The flames were blue, just like before.

Mayumi stood there, frozen to her bones despite the rising temperature surrounding her. Here she was, the pathetic Iron Lady, too chicken to do anything, as Bakugou would say. But it wasn’t a matter of becoming too cowardly. Courage was something that Mayumi had enough of. It was the matter of reliving the demons of her past that still haunted her up to this day.

Mayumi felt her vision blur, pain starting to spread from her chest, as if there was a hole punching through it. Although she didn’t feel it, she knew that her face came in contact to the ground, and that she was heaving out heavy breaths.

Her world started to spin in a mess of blue and heat in a dark abyss.

* * *

 

_It was her twelfth birthday, and Mayumi couldn’t have been happier._

_She was a December baby, and back in her country, being born on December wasn’t really anything special. In fact, it meant that she’d receive less gifts, given that she was born a day after Christmas. Her relatives would make her Christmas gifts their birthday gifts, and because of that, she grew up as the type of person who never got used to getting a lot of stuff. That, and often times, her parents and her relatives would get into arguments either on or after Christmas._

_Talk about a cold December._

_However, ever since moving to Japan, things have been different to her. Despite the cold weather and the shitty, annoying snow, Decembers in Japan have been the happiest moments in her life, because it was just her and her parents spending their Christmas together. No annoying relative to nag them, no relatives to order them around and expect them to cook everything for Christmas Eve dinner-none of that shit. They left that all behind the moment that they decided to apply for immigration. It felt as if they were safe and finally away from everything that troubled their poor, simple lives._

_They thought they were safe and sound, tucked away in Japan._

_Mayumi and her father were walking back to their home on her birthday, that day. Her father took her to a record shop that sold old CD’s and vinyl records. The best thing about loving old music was that if she wanted to buy the actual, physical album, they’d cost less now, than they did before. So when her father found that place, he brought Mayumi there, gave her money, and told her to buy everything that she can with the money that he gave her. When they were on the curb at the corner of their street, they saw people running away from them –some were running down the street. It was odd, given that nothing really happens in their street._

_They were wrong about that._

_The first thing that they saw was a blue light down the road, followed by thick, grey smoke. Both Mayumi and her father had the same thought in mind –pray that it wasn’t their apartment._

_However, you can’t pray and hope to avoid something that had already come to pass._

_Mayumi and her father ran down the snowy sidewalk to find their apartment building burning, with their apartment unit among the range of the fire and with no sign of her mother around._

_“Nida!” Her father screamed, looking around at the crowd that gathered to see if Mayumi’s mother was there. However, among the lucky escapees from the building, there was no sign of her mother’s greying hair and her purple glasses among the crowd. Their fear was confirmed when they heard screaming from the second floor, where their unit was located._

_“Mom!”_

_“Nida!”_

_“I’m going in to get your mother!”_

_“Dad, no! Let’s call for help!”_

_“No! You stay here and call for help! It’s too dangerous!”_

_“Mayumi,” Her father said, holding her shoulders and looking at her right in the eye, “One day, you’ll understand.” He said, before pushing her lightly towards the crowd, and rushing towards their apartment unit. She tried to run after him, but people held her back, some of them saying to let the adults handle it. While waiting for the fire trucks, some of their neighbours made an attempt to shove buckets of snow on the burning building, but the smoke became thicker and the fire larger._

_Until now, Mayumi never understood the reason why her father rushed in to the burning building that day just to save her mother. If it was for love, then did that mean her father didn’t love her? Mayumi didn’t understand how at that split second, her father decided that it was okay to just leave Mayumi alone with a crowd of strangers, knowing that rushing into that building might mean that he might never make it out ever again. Mayumi didn’t understand why he didn’t hug her or give her a kiss to the forehead if he knew that what he was doing was suicidal, and that he was leaving her all alone._

_All that Mayumi understood that day was that when the gas in their building  leaked and the compound exploded, she knew that she was left all alone in a country she barely knows with nothing to her name but a bunch of old CDs and vinyl records they bought on that day._

_“We can’t get a hold of any hero agency!”_

_“There’s been a villain attack on the other side of town! We have to let the fire trucks handle this one!”_

_“The heroes can’t come! There’s nothing we can do, except wait for the truck! ”_

_People told her to stop running and to wait for the police and the fire men to come, but how could she just stand there and watch the building with her mother and father’s dead bodies burn? How could she just stand there and take in the fact that she wasn’t able to do anything and that she can never do anything?_

_She ran aimlessly, just as she was about to do for the next three years of her life, and she didn’t know where she was going. All that she knew is that she couldn’t stand to even think about their exploding building, and her father telling her that she’ll understand._

_She was wandering aimlessly, so lost in the streets and in her own mind that she didn’t see a sleek black car zooming down the street, towards her as she crossed it. She faced the car just in time to block it with her right arm and activating her quirk, reducing its impact, before she blacked out._

_She woke up in a hospital bed, three days later, and with her an old man with a cane and a bowler hat, telling her that he saved her. She fell unconscious again, shortly after, thinking that this was all a dream and that she would wake up back in her house with her mother cooking something delicious again. Maybe she would be making her overnight strawberry pudding, or the chicken satay and those fried spring rolls that she loved so much that were stuffed with smoked fish, tofu, water crests, and cilantro. Her father would probably be looking up for dogs for sale. He was recently thinking of buying one –a Dobberman. She wouldn’t mind waking up to any of those, no matter how bad her dream was._

_Indeed, she did wake up, but she was still in a hospital bed with that old man. He was dozing off on the corner, and the television was left open. It showed reports of reconstruction of the damage that happened four days ago, during a villain attack. She flipped to the other channels, and most of them were interviews with the heroes that helped with the villain attack –heroes that failed to help her. Every channel was filled with them, and Mayumi could only make out the same thing from everything._

_“You were so brave-”_

_“...-honorable act-”_

_“...-helping out with the incident raised your ratings-”_

_“People look up to you even more-...”_

_“...-you helped save everybody-”_

**_No. They didn’t save everybody._ **

_There were no reports about what happened to that apartment building or her parents on the television. Eventually, she’d learn that news about their building was reported as a freak accident, and the clumsy mistake of its residents by leaving the gas open for it to go up in flames. The article had neither picture nor huge section in the papers, and there was no proof to the claim, but Mayumi knew that her mother wasn’t stupid enough to leave the gas open, and if some stupid person did, the flames wouldn’t’ all be blue. The report on the papers only took ten sentences long, and it was found at the bottom left of the papers, on the last page._

_It was that day when Mayumi learned to stop believing in heroes._

* * *

 

“Is that really her?”

Mayumi’s eyes opened to a swaying vision and the sensation of blood to her forehead. She let out a groan, feeling light headed and nauseas from the way that she was hanging. However, the sound she made was muffled, and when Mayumi tried to move her lips, a strip of duct tape held it together. Mayumi tried to move her hands and feet, but to no avail –even with the use of her quirk.

“Well, well, if it isn’t the Iron Lady,” she heard from the man that was carrying her around like a sack of flour. “Ain’t used to getting knocked out, huh?”

Mayumi wasn’t able to move in the first place, but her whole body froze as she heard her carrier  call her by her stage name.

_Shit..._

“Dabi, are you sure she’s the Iron Lady? She seems a bit too young.” Another voice said, who seemed to be beside the man named Dabi.

_This man named Dabi’s gonna fucking die by my hands for pulling this shit on me._

“It’s the face paint that made her unrecognizable.” The cool voice of her kidnapper said as they continued to walk.

“How’d you know?” The other man asked, and Mayumi felt the hand that held one of her duct taped calves clench.

“’Cuz I’m not a frigging dumbass like you, that’s why,” Her kidnapper said, both of them suddenly stopping. Mayumi felt her body being lowered down to the ground, bracing herself for the impact, however, it did not come. She was place down gently on the ground by the man who carried her. He crouched down in front of Mayumi to meet her eye to eye.

Mayumi knew that she shouldn’t stare, but she couldn’t help it. Parts of his face and arms were singed –like it was an old injury, with silver piercings lined between the discoloured and regular skin. It suddenly made him look like his burnt skin was stapled on to him. However, Mayumi knew that the burnt skin of her captor was the real deal, and wasn’t fake. Mayumi would have backed up to a nearby tree if she was able to move, but to say that she was wrapped in tape was an understatement.

She was cocooned in the whole damn thing, and it was wrapped up tightly that she couldn’t even move an inch with her limbs.

“Securing you was such a pain in the ass, you know?” The man named Dabi said as he removed the strip of tape that sealed her lips. “Had to empty out three rolls of tape to make sure that you wouldn’t be able to tear this off with your quirk.” Despite being obviously a bad guy, he was careful with removing the tape that covered her lips.

“What the hell do you want from me?” Mayumi asked the moment he was able to remove the tape on her mouth. She was trying her best to control the shaking in her voice –nothing this crazy has ever happened to her, and she thought she’d seen everything.

“An autograph and a picture would be nice!” The man that they were with, a guy in a black and guy one piece suit, said.

“Not the time, Twice.” Her captor said, obviously irritated by his colleague.

 “I didn’t expect to be the Iron Lady to be scared by a little fire,” The man in front of her said, and Mayumi felt herself freeze in her spot when the man in front of her raised his hand to reveal his hand covered in the same blue flame that haunted her. He smirked as she stared at his flaming hand, unflinching and face unreadable.

_Don’t tell me it was him._

 “It’s a shame. I always did like your fights. I always placed my bets on you in the UFR. You’ve never let down my expectations of you, Iron Lady, until today,” He said, before pressing what seemed to be an earpiece. “Well, you know what they say: One should never meet their heroes.”

“Dabi, here. The Iron Lady’s been secured. We’re here at the rendezvous.”

The man listened the ear piece, before nodding.

“They’ve got him. They’re on their way,” Dabi said, before placing the duct tape once more to Mayumi’s mouth. Dabi then brought out a napkin and a bottle, tipping over the contents of the bottle to the napkin and pressing it hard to Mayumi’s nose. A sweet scent assaulted Mayumi’s nostrils as she felt her world spinning once more.

“Sorry to have to do this, but I can’t risk you thrashing around. We need you, Iron Lady, and I can’t have you screw this up.”

* * *

 

Mayumi had to get away. She couldn’t let them take her.

Although they didn’t say it, Mayumi knew exactly who they were. She’s been well acquainted with the sketchier part of the UFR to know who most of the people in the crowd are. There were some gym owners who sent potential prodigies to start their careers there; there were viewers who were members of the black market, looking for a way to spend and earn more money; there were the occasional yakuza (the low ranking ones) who were sent to collect a bet; and then, on very rare occasions, a masked individual or two scanning the place and keeping a close eye on the fighters. Often times, the fighters who would win in the matches that they appear in would never show their faces in the UFR ever again. Mayumi inferred that they were some weird cultist organization that wanted to recruit strong fighters with strong quirks, and when she asked around, what she thought wasn’t far from the truth.

 _“Stay away from those freaks if ya know what’s good for you,”_ The Manager told her when they eyed a lanky man sitting by the bar, a hood covering the upper part of his face (all but the lips, which seemed to be utterly dry and chapped). _“They’re nothing but bad news –best not to get involved with them.”_

Mayumi didn’t know what the name of that group was, but she was sure as hell that whoever was in charge of that same group she saw in the UFR was behind this attack –them knowing her stage name was proof enough. She had never realized how dangerous they were, because she always steered clear of them and always had the Manager with her. She never thought to worry over them getting her because they often targeted strong and unique quirks. Hers was weak and boring –a simple power up quirk that made her a bit stronger, enough to make a punch to the gut hurt for days.

For her to interest this group enough and make her worthy of kidnapping made Mayumi’s gut twist in anxiety.

The last thing she remembered was a singed man pressing a chloroform laden napkin to her nose, and the world turning dark around her. When she opened her eyes, she was hanging upside down on the shoulder of her captor, and she could vaguely see three of her classmates standing in front of Dabi. There was the unmistakable bulk and dupli-arms of Shoji, the hair of Todoroki, and the green hair of Midoriya. He looked worse for wear, with his arms wrapped in a makeshift cast.

_What the hell have you been doing without me, idiot?_

“YU-...-CHAN!” She could hear Midoriya scream in her woozy state.

_Yu-chan… I like the sound of that. I hope that I’d get to hear you call me that again._

She could faintly hear a rough voice near her -a voice she fairly recognizes.

“Don’t come, Deku.”

Mayumi didn’t know if something happened or if she passed out, but the next moments were engulfed in darkness.

It wasn’t only until the light came back when she realized where they were and who was with her.

They were brought to a bar (a rather empty one), and they were surrounded by the faces that Mayumi saw in the summer camp –the ones who assaulted the Pussycats, and her captors. Then there were some new faces, like a schoolgirl with a backpack that had tubes connected to something in her pocket. There was also a man in a tan trench coat, a mask, and a top hat.

Mayumi was roughly thrown to the wall, alongside with another person –the owner of the all too familiar voice that she heard. Mayumi met the wide –and for the first time, terrified amber eyes of her student, who was shoved to a seat beside her. A chill rose up her spine, wishing to all deities that she knew that this was a chloroform induced dream and that she was the only one who was taken from her class.

_Bakugou. No._

“Well, well, the Iron Lady in the flesh,” A voice said from a doorway. From the darkness of the opposite side emerged a man in a black sweater, with a blue hand serving as a mask that covered his whole face.

His voice sent chills up Mayumi’s spine. He was sinister as fuck, and Mayumi knew that this was the end of the line for her.

“It’s an honour to finally have the Iron Lady amongst the League of Villains.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THOSE WHO BOOKMARKED, LEFT A KUDOS, AND COMMENTED IN THIS STORY! I OWE YOU GUYS SO MUCH!
> 
> I'm such a horrible person for delaying this chapter for so long :'(
> 
> I've been so caught up with studying and my research that I haven't been able to complete this chapter and I feel so guilty because I've been dying to post this chapter, so I'm sorry if some parts of the story feel rushed. It's just that we all know what happens in the anime and the manga that I don't want this fic to just be a narrative version of what happened.
> 
> Anyways, I'd like to hear your comments about this chapter! ;) It really lifts me up whenever I read your comments!


	17. Mayumi vs The Kamino Incident

_"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! TODAY IS A SPECIAL FUCKING NIGHT FOR ALL OF YOU FOLLOWERS OF THE UFR!"_

_"Tell me what the hell are we doing in this dump, Kurogiri?"_

_In the tobacco induced mist of the UFR sat a hooded man and a masked man at the corner of the large room. They both scanned the room, their eyes on the cage of the UFR, watching as a bulky man was introduced as the rank two fighter in the UFR._

_"This is our screening grounds, young Tomura. This is where we've been getting our recruits for a few years, now. We send one of our men here from time to time, and when we see potential, we hire them."_

_"Then why is it that it's both of us in here rather than one of our men? This is a waste of time." The hooded man, Tomura, said, resting his cheek on his hand. He had better things to do than sit in a stinky room filled with people just to watch two people fight. It was pointless._

_"They've been reporting to me a young girl who's been making her way to the top at a surprising pace. I've seen her fights myself, and I must say that it is rather impressive. Her stage name's the Iron Lady, and in a short time, she's made her way to rank three here."_

_"So?"_

_"Most would take years to climb to the top, young Tomura, and this girl is a prodigy. She made it to her spot in a matter of months."_

_"Rank three? It's not as good as rank one." Shigaraki sighed. If he was going to recruit someone from this place, he has to get the best of the best –the cream of the crop._

_"The rank one is untouchable. He's got his own goons, and his uses paralyzing techniques, It's too dangerous." However, for Shigaraki, it was all the more reason to recruit him._

_"Then how about rank two?"_

_"Well, we're about to find out who's gonna take the title in this round. The Iron Lady's up against the rank two. Whoever wins in this fight would take that title."_

* * *

" _The first round's about to end, Kurogiri. I could tell by the results of this round who's better. Not so much of an Iron Lady, is she?"_

" _This is not good. She's beat up real bad." Kurogiri said, with genuine concern in his voice. A piercing yell of encouragement for the lady contender sounded from the crowd, and Shigaraki turned his head, his eyes widening as he saw a familiar tuft of green hair from the crowd._

" _What are these kids doing here?" He hissed at the warp gate, pointing at the U.A. students from the crowd._

" _They seem to be cheering for her."_

" _Huh, interesting. So they know her?"_

" _Maybe a friend from school?"_

" _Huh… interesting."_

* * *

" _The bigger man is obviously going to win, so what else are we waiting for?" Shigaraki sighed, resting his cheek on his hand. He was getting bored with the fight. Watching Knuckle Duster slam the Iron Lady down on the ground like a rag doll gave Shigaraki enough reason to doubt the recommendations of Kurogiri._

" _I placed a bet on the Iron Lady. I am waiting for the results of this match."_

" _Well, consider your money lost, because-"_

" _OH SHIT! HE'S DOWN, FOLKS! PUNCH AFTER PUNCH AFTER PUNCH, AND HE'S TURNING RED FROM THE CHOKE HOLD THAT SHE'S GOT ON HIM! THEY TAKE IT ON THE GROUND, AND HE WRITHES, TRYING TO GET AWAY FROM THE IRON LADY'S GRIP! WILL HE GET OUT OF THIS?! NO, FOLKS! HIS LEGS SHOT OUT! HE'S GONE SLACK! HE'S FUCKING UNCONSCIOUS!"_

_"AND THAT IS IT, PEOPLE! THE IRON LADY IS THE WINNER OF THIS FIGHT BY KNOCK-OUT! I NOW PRESENT TO YOU THE NEW RANK TWO FIGHTER IN THE UFR, THE IRON LADY!"_

" _Who did you say she was?"_

" _She's got documents registered as Nitta Mayumi, but it's obviously a fake. The Nitta that she's hanging around is not her grandfather. The old man's real granddaughter is lying in a Lukemia Center."_

" _Huh, is that so?" The hooded man looked at the victorious Iron Lady, her fist up in the air in a bloody mess. He thought back on the U.A. students that he saw awhile ago –the same ones that he had encountered back in his assault at USJ. Shigaraki wasn't blind. He saw how those students cheered her on. They could have been mistaken as an avid fan of the UFR, however, the words that left the green haired boy's mouth had confirmed his thoughts._

" _Nitta Mayumi," Shigaraki said, watching the teenager being lead out of the fighting ring. A smile made his way to his chapped lips, anxious to finally meet this new player in his game._

* * *

_Holy shit, is this for real?_

Mayumi saw black, no matter where she turned her head to. She could hear the voices of the men that took her, however, she couldn't see how close they were. All that she knew was that they were all in the same room with her. With her blindfold and the metal cuffs that they had cuffed her with (in place of the loads of duct tape that they had wrapped around her), she couldn't do shit. If the blindfold were gone, she would have analyzed the situation –check who could be strangled, kicked, and where she could possibly escape. However, her captors have been observant, and with her status in the UFR, it didn't surprise her that these _League of Villains_ knew about her.

_Seriously, League of Villains? Such a fucking cliché._

Mayumi, despite the lack of vision, still closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on her hearing. She wasn't sure if she went deaf, too, or if there weren't any people left in the room. She was trying to figure out where they placed her.

" _Take her to the factory."_ The creepy guy with the hand mask (a literal hand for a mask) said to Dabi, her captor. The last thing Mayumi saw before they placed cloth over her eyes were the ruby eyes of her classmate and student wide in emotions that she guessed were fear and rage. She felt herself being lifted from the ground once more, and carried over someone's shoulder. After what felt and sounded like a few rooms later, they stopped, and she was placed (somehow gently) down on the ground.

Mayumi waited for what felt like forever, before she started to move her limbs around. Mayumi first tried to nudge her blindfold with her shoulder, sliding down on the ground in her futile attempts.

_Fuck this shit, and fuck these people. Who the fuck do they think they are?!_

Mayumi flipped herself, laying on her stomach, and tried to pin the blindfold on the floor, and have it removed. She wasn't sure what she looked like (like a damn fool, probably), but it was doing the trick. Once the blindfold rose up to her hairline, she shook the blindfold off her head, until it was completely off her. Mayumi tried to get on her knees, but as she looked up the dilated pupils from a creature with no eyelids staring straight at her through a glass container. Mayumi let out a muffled scream through the strip of duct tape that was covered on her mouth. Mayumi crawled back from the creature that floated through the glass container, the eerie luminescent liquid sending chills up Mayumi's spine.

The creature was unlike any mutation Mayumi had seen. It seemed to have to eyelids, making its eyes always open, even if it seemed asleep. It had its brain exposed on the top of its head, and showed razor sharp teeth trough its rough, thick skin. It was larger than an average person –almost the same size of All Might, and it had razor sharp claws for hands. Mayumi thumped her head back to the container that she was leaning on and shut her eyes. The sudden fright and the stress of the situation was making Mayumi nauseas, and she could feel the bile stuck at the back of her throat.

_Just fucking breathe and break the chains of these goddamn cuffs._

After that, what then? She didn't know where she was, nor did she know who she was dealing with. For all she knew, someone was secretly watching her and was waiting for the right time to release these _abominations_ on her as their dinner.

_But Bakugou's still there. I can't just sit here and do nothing._

Run for help, or rescue Bakugou? Mayumi still didn't know which to choose. All she knew that to do either, she had to get rid of these cuffs first. She tried pulling the cuffs on her hands apart, even with the use of her quirk. However, to no avail, it simply dug to her skin, ensuring bruises for the days to follow.

"Those cuffs are a mix of tungsten and titanium, so don't even bother, Iron Lady." She heard a voice say from behind her. Mayumi froze and sat up straight, alert, with her heart feeling as if it were clasped tightly between two hands. The footsteps seemed to come from behind the glass that contained the abominations that surrounded Mayumi, and the footsteps seem to be making their way around.

The footsteps stopped, and when Mayumi looked up, in front of her stood her captor, Dabi, smirking at her –the man who had the same blue flames that engulfed her parents' bodies. He crouched down in front of her, and not once did Mayumi stare at anything else but his cold turquoise irises.

"The Iron Lady… The newly ranked two in the UFR," He said, cupping Mayumi's chin. "You've always seemed so untouchable in The Cage, Iron Lady. You seem so powerful when you're in The Cage, but you look anything but right now." Dabi asked, turning her head from side to side as if examining a fruit.

"Nitta Mayumi –we all know that that you don't own the name of the Nitta's, Mayumi, and we all know that you didn't come from Japan." Dabi said, gripping her chin tightly. However, at this point, Mayumi wasn't even registering the words that Dabi was saying to her. She could only think of one thing as she looked into those turquoise eyes:

_This man killed my family._

"But you know, you'll fit right in with us." He said, and Mayumi's breathing became harsher from the rage boiling in her veins.

_Does he know what he did?_

"You're no different from us, Mayumi. You're just as tainted as us." Mayumi's blood curled from hearing this man call her by her name.

_You're a fucking liar. I'm no murdering son of a bitch!_

"You brawl with men and women for the sake of money that goes to the hands of a selfish old man…"

_No, the Manager's not like that._

"It's not like it's his life that's on the line. He's not the one getting beat up just for the sake of money."

_It's not about the money. I owe him my life, and there is no way to pay him back._

"Join us, and you won't have to worry about that anymore."

_Why would I join a bunch of murderers like you?_

Mayumi continued to glare at Dabi, who seemed to just smirk at her. He reached out to peel off the duct tape that covered her mouth. For a villain, he was careful not to hurt her, she'll give him that. However, that didn't stop her from spitting at his face the moment her mouth was free, which was followed by a head butt that was activated by her quirk.

The villain stumbled back, taken aback by the attack. He held his head as he nursed the bump that was growing on his forehead.

"I am never joining you, d'you hear me?! I may fight in the UFR, and it may be against the law, but don't even think for one second that I am anything like the scum that you are!"

Dabi huffed, that stupid smirk still on her face.

"Tch. I was wondering when you'd show that face –the true face of the Iron Lady."

"Who gives a fuck about what I look like?! Nothing you'll say will ever convince me to join your stupid cult!"

 _You did this to me._ Mayumi wanted to say, but she knew that she shouldn't. It wouldn't do anything to undo what happened to her parents, and it sure as hell wouldn't help her get out of this shit storm. If anything, they'll have more edge on her.

"Nothing, huh? Even that blonde classmate of yours?"

_No. Now is not the time for you to fall for his bait. He's fucking playing with you, that's all._

"Bullshit. Bakugou won't even think twice in blasting your ass out of this building. He knows what he wants –I can see that, and the last thing he'd want to do is to join murdering scumbags like you!"

_Fuck, did I say too much?_

Dabi just seemed to look at her, thoughtful and as if contemplating.

_What need is there for monsters like you to contemplate on?_

It seemed as if Dabi was about to open his mouth to speak, but instead pressed his earpiece closer to his ear.

"Mmm," He hummed, and suddenly stood up. "Wasn't done yet, but if it's what the boss wants, I'm on my way." Dabi then placed the strip of duct tape back on Mayumi's mouth, and picked up the blindfold from the floor. The last thing Mayumi saw was Dabi's piercing blue eyes before her world turned dark again.

"Don't even bother thinking that those heroes you call would come to save you. They won't come… They never do."

* * *

_Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck._

Mayumi's emotions were hanging on by a thread. She tried everything to stay calm, and to try to make it out of her predicament, but her captor made it hard to focus when he was the reason for everything that happened to Mayumi –her orphan status, her being stranded in this country, driving her to join the UFR, and finally, this shit.

As much as Mayumi had tried to change on how she looked at heroes –as much as she tried to push away the aftermath of that dreaded day, the trauma and the distrust had come washing down on her once more.

_**Don't even bother thinking that those heroes you call would come to save you.** _

_Will they? They will wouldn't they?_

_**They won't come…** _

_But my classmates wanted to be heroes, and they seem really nice… Like they would be the kind of people who wouldn't leave someone behind, right?_

_**They never do…** _

_They don't always come, don't they? They have much more important shit to handle than rescuing a fifteen year old nobody, right?_

In every film or book that Mayumi had seen, in moments like these, this would be the moment wherein the protagonist would either come up with an ingenious plan, or some sort of savoir would burst in the door to rescue her. However, Mayumi knew better than to hope that any of those would happen. She knew herself that she wasn't smart enough to form a plan, and she knew better than to hope once more that a hero would come to rescue her.

Mayumi knew that she was the exception, this time.

Mayumi's hands were clammy and her chest felt like it was in a frozen grip. However, it didn't stop Mayumi from lying down on the floor on her stomach again, sliding her blindfold off of her head by rubbing her face on the floor. As degrading as it was, she had no other way, with her hands cuffed behind her back.

Once the blindfold was off, she crawled her way to the space behind the glass containers that surrounded her. She had no plan, nor did she have a way to remove the cuffs so that she could fight. However, she'd be damned if she would let herself go down without a fight. Mayumi knew that she beats up people for a living, but she wasn't as bad as the people who kidnapped her.

Mayumi was crawling her way to a steel door, the rough pavement scraping against her skin, when a loud crash sounded from the ceiling, followed by a strong blast making her fly to the wall, the falling rubble following her.

* * *

_Fuck this can't get any worse, now, can it?!_

Mayumi opened her eyes, a ringing resounding in her ears as she tried to sit up. She groaned, feeling her back hurt, the light from the broken down wall blinding her. Mayumi squinted her, making out figures of a humongous girl, and a buff figure that had a cat's tail.

"Tiger-sensei…?" Mayumi groaned. The figure went towards her and knelt down in front of her. His face became clearer, and it was indeed Tiger, the hero who trained her during their summer camp.

"Young Nitta! Are you hurt anywhere?!" Tiger asked, as he cleared the rubble that was on top of her.

"No, not really," Mayumi said, trying to move, but failing to due to her bound wrists and ankles. "But I can't move 'cuz of these stupid cuffs."

"We'll get you safe, Young Nitta. We're here, now. There's no more need to worry."

Mayumi felt her chest clench at that.

How she wished to have heard those words a few years ago.

"Sensei… Bakugou-… My classmate, he was taken, too. He's being held somewhere-"

"We know, young Nitta. Another team of heroes are at another location, where we believe young Bakugou is," Tiger said as he carried her and walked towards the opening on the wall. "Did you think that we wouldn't everything that we can to help you and your classmate?"

_You guys didn't when I needed you the most._

Mayumi was brought outside of the building, where a couple of police cars and armored trucks were waiting. The mutations that Mayumi had seen awhile ago were being escorted into the armored trucks, while Mayumi was escorted to a nearby police car.

"Officer," Tiger said, setting her down on the roof of the car's trunk. "I found her inside of the warehouse. She's one of the students who were taken from the summer camp."

"Your name, Miss?" The officer asked as fumbled for his radio. He had light colored hair –the natural kind, and not the dyed kind. He had a natural glare in his feline-like eyes that was brought about by the bags under his eyes that was probably brought about by many late nights in the office. Overall, he looked intimidation, but there was something calming about his appearance (however, Mayumi thinks that anyone who isn't a villain would calm her down.

"Nitta Mayumi." Mayumi mumbled, and the officer nodded and mumbled on the radio on his hand. He disappeared for a while, looking for something inside of his car, and when he returned, he had a blazer with him. He hung it around Mayumi's shoulders, who seemed to be in deep thought. However, the thoughts that were going inside Mayumi's mind were far from deep –she was thinking from straight panic.

"Nitta Mayumi, from Class 1-A in U.A.?" He asked, and Mayumi nodded. "I am officer Shirogane of the fifth division." The officer said as he took out, what seemed to be, a lock pick as he inserted it in the keyholes of Mayumi's hand cuffs and fumbled around. Mayumi heard a click, and the cuffs were off, falling to the ground. He worked on her ankle cuffs next, and Mayumi let out a sigh of relief as those, too, fell on the ground.

 _Shit, I need to learn how to pick locks so that I won't be this fucking useless again. Is Bakugou okay_? _Does the Manager know about this? Of course he does, the old man must be worried sick right now. Shit, I have to-_

"I have to go home, _"_ Mayumi mumbled to herself, then looking at the policeman in front of her. "I have to go home, my-… My grandfather must be worried sick, now."

"That's what I'm here for, young lady," Officer Shirogane had said. "We've reported to the station that you've been found, and that you're safe now, young lady. We'll try to look for your grandfather's contact details. May I ask for his name?"

"Nitta-… Nakamura… Or Nakamura Nitta, I'm not quite sure." Mayumi mumbled as she gripped the lapels of the blazer that hung around her. The officer in front of her nodded, before his radio let out a static, followed by a frantic voice.

"Requesting back-up! All available units, I repeat, requesting for back-up at the VHQ. More of the mutations have appeared!" The voice exclaimed, and Mayumi's head perked up at the report.

_Bakugou must be in that location._

"But B Team had secured all of the mutations in the warehouse!" Officer Shigaraki said on the radio. As if on cue, a loud explosion sounded from the warehouse, followed by a strong gust of wind. Mayumi ducked down as rubble flew everywhere, some hitting the police car that she sat on. Mayumi got off the car, hiding behind it instead as the gust settled down.

 _Shit, there were other heroes in there. Are they safe?_ Mayumi sat there, trying to listen to any other sounds that might hint that the heroes in the warehouse were alive. Mayumi heard the shuffling of rubble, someone, followed by labored breathing and slow clapping.

"As expected of the number four hero, Best Jeanist…" Mayumi heard a deep voice sound from the direction of the warehouse. "…To be able to manipulate the clothes of your comrades in order to pull them away from the blast –to make a decision like that in a split second takes nerves of steel."

Mayumi kneeled behind the police car, peeking from behind it. She saw a floating man in a black and white suit, his head mutated and metal tubes surrounding his neck and mouth. Mayumi felt a hand grab her ankle, and she had to cover her hand to muffle the gasp that she let out. Mayumi ducked down to see Officer Shirogane from awhile ago sitting next to her, donning his own share of scratches. He must have forgotten to take cover during the blast.

"Young Nitta, I have to get you somewhere safe –we can't stay here." He said, taking her by the wrist as they slowly crouched behind the rubble that managed to pile up. Mayumi and Shirogane had tiptoed and had been careful as if their life depended on it (it really did). One small step that could create an unwanted domino effect that could turn that suited man's eyes on them –and they didn't want that.

Mayumi turned her head around to see rubble of what used to be buildings. There would have been nothing wrong if it were only buildings around them, but in them, Mayumi could feel with a cold grip in her chest that it weren't just cement and glass in those piles of rubble. As she and officer Shirogane passed one, Mayumi saw a hand lying limp underneath it.

_Oh God, there were people in those buildings._

Mayumi felt her blood run cold and her head go light, and it wasn't from the blast.

"Don't look back, Young Nitta." Officer Shirogane hissed at her as he pulled her forward.

'"Bu-"

"Keep walking." He told her, his voice leaving no room for any arguments. Mayumi tried to block out the pained groans that she heard as she passed by the ruined buildings.

They were able to reach a tattered wall, and the both of them hid behind it, letting out a sigh of relief as they slumped down behind the wall. However, Mayumi still felt as if someone was gripping her chest as she anticipated what would happen next.

_The heroes that we left behind, they saved me. Who the hell is going to save them from a psycho in a three piece suit?_

Officer Shirogane knelt in front of her, placing both of his hands on her shoulder and shaking her off of her stupor.

"Young Nitta, look at me," He said, however, Mayumi had barely heard it through the ringing in her ears. Mayumi looked at Officer Shirogane and realized that she wasn't the only one who was shaken by everything that has happened. "Young Nitta, I know that you are learning how to become a hero, but the one thing that you must learn is that you can't always save everyone. Sometimes, there's a right person in the right place for a right time –right now, you have to realize that we aren't the right people for this situation, okay?"

_I'm too weak… I don't stand a chance._

"Young Nitta, it's not your fault." He consoled her, shaking her a bit to emphasize his point.

_It's not… But I could have done something if I was strong enough._

"Now I need you to do something, Young Nitta. Do you see the end of this path? Over there?" Shirogane whispered to her, pointing at the end of the path that led to another street. Part of it was covered by rubble, but she had no problem if she climbed over it. "I want you to go straight ahead, and look for the nearest officer you could find. Tell them my name, and that you are to be brought to the nearest police station, is that clear?" He asked. Mayumi clutched the sleeve of his shirt.

"Wait, where are you going?" Mayumi asked, and Shirogane just looked at her, steel and determination in his eyes.

"I'm going to call for back-up and inform Team A of the situation here." He said, and Mayumi nodded. She knew that she can't ask this officer to just stay and guide her through. He has other priorities. Walking down this lane (with a crazy villain on the other side of the wall, no doubt) should be easy for Mayumi.

"Go straight to the police, okay?" Shirogane asked, and Mayumi nodded, turning to tread the narrow path that she had to take. Mayumi made sure not to run, as not to cause any unnecessary tripping or bump into anything that could cause any noise. However, Mayumi knew that if she didn't hurry, that villain was going to notice her, and everything those heroes did to help her would all go to waste.

_Fuck. Tiger-sensei and the other heroes are probably dead, and because of what? I was too fucking weak to defend myself from the kidnapping that happened? Because I'm still to fucking weak and helpless to do anything right now? I'm fucking running away, for Christ's sake!_

Mayumi felt her vision blur, tears prickling the corners of her eyes.

_Oh God, Bakugou… I'm getting out like a fucking coward without him…He's still there, and I'm not doing anything to save him. What kind of a fucking friend does that make me?_

Mayumi stumbled on a piece of rubble, scraping her knee and her palm. However, she barely registered the sting of her scrapes, for her thoughts came crashing down on her, numbing her senses.

_I was weak before, and I still fucking am… I'm a fucking worthless piece of shit._

Through her internal turmoil, Mayumi knelt on all fours and carefully climbed the pile of rubble that blocked her path, her vision starting to become glassy. As she landed on the other side of the pile of rubble, her eyes widened at what she saw. Mayumi felt the ice-cold grip on her chest shatter at the sight of those familiar jagged teeth, and the bright red hair. However, the eyes that she saw were far from being bright, and the lips that she saw were far from smiling.

Mayumi stared at Kirishima, along with Yaoyorozu, Todoroki, Iida, and Midoriya, all of them in what seemed to be second hand clubbing attires. They all seemed to be staring into open space, eyes wide open and bodies frozen in fear.

Mayumi let out a sigh of relief.

"G-guys…" Mayumi managed to croak. The small group of her classmates jumped at her sudden intrusion. However, relief washed over their faces when they realized who it was that was standing in front of them.

Kirishima was the first to go to her, with Mayumi nearly collapsing on him as she felt her knees go weak when his arms wrapped around her. Mayumi wrapped her arms around his torso, feeling it locking around her red-haired friend.

"Yami, we thought we'd lost you." Kirishima breathed out. Although all of them wanted to shout and let out their own exclamations of relief, they couldn't with a villain so near them. Instead of letting out the sobs that forced their way through Mayumi's lips, she bit her lip and dug her nose to Kirishima's shoulder, letting her silent tears finally fall.

It was only then when Mayumi realized how scared she was, and how close she was to losing everything she had ever knew. Kirishima, sensing Mayumi's ragged breathing, placed his hand behind Mayumi's head, gently stroking her hair.

"Shh, you're with us now." He soothed, as they both knelt down, Mayumi's knees finally giving up and letting her emotions tide over her. Mayumi felt someone kneel beside her and placing a hand on her shoulder. Mayumi opened her eyes –she hadn't even realized that she had closed them –and she saw Midoriya kneeling beside her. Mayumi let go of Kirishima and latched on to her green haired classmate, giving him a tight hug.

"Yumi, how did you manage to escape?" Iida asked her, and Mayumi sniffed.

"I didn't," Mayumi mumbled on Midoriya's shoulder. "Tiger-sensei –he found me."

"Do you know where Bakugou is?" Kirishima asked, and Mayumi let go of Midoriya.

"I don't know. They covered my eyes and took me somewhere else," Mayumi explained, letting out a sigh. Another tear fell down her cheek as she tried to explain what happened to her. However, instead of words, sobs escaped between her lips. Mayumi bit down her lip, stopping the words that were threatening to flow out of her mouth. She also knew that if they made any other sound, they would be heard.

"Momo-san," Midoriya whispered to the raven haired girl. "Can you get Yumi out of here?"

"What? What about you?" Yaoyorozu asked.

"We would still have to get Bakugou," Kirishima said, his arm still around Mayumi. "But right now, Yami can't stay here. She needs to brought to the police, or at least a hospital."

"What? No!" Mayumi hissed, pulling away from Kirishima. "If you're going to save Bakugou, I'm coming with you."

"Nitta-san, we've got this," Iida said. "Retrieving you and Bakugou is our priority. Now that we've got you, we're not risking you falling back to the hands of those villains."

"Iida-kun has a point, Yumi-san," Todoroki, who had never spoken much to her, told her. "You can leave this to us."

"No, you guys don't understand." Mayumi said, backing away from them, the ice cold grip returning to her heart again, this time with a twist in her gut at the thought of Bakugou.

_If I don't save him, then what good am I?_

"I'm sorry for this, Yami."

Mayumi felt the side of a hand smack her at the left juncture of her neck and shoulder, before she felt another hit to the side of her head and the world turned dark.

* * *

"We're trying to get in touch with him, but it keeps on going to voicemail."

"Aren't there any other contacts?"

"He was the only one she had written down in her emergency contacts. I don't think she has any other relatives."

Mayumi opened her eyes, only to be met with blinding white lights and a cream colored ceiling to add to the brightness of the room. Her throat felt dry, and she could feel a hint of a stiff neck, but it wasn't what bothered Mayumi. It was the familiar scent of antiseptic and flowers that made Mayumi jolt, immediately sitting up.

Just as she guessed, she was in a hospital room, her ruined clothes still on her, and her scrapes all patched up with gauzes. She turned her head to see her adviser, looking worse for wear in a white long sleeved button up shirt, as he stood beside an officer. Mayumi blinked, seeing the familiar tuft of light colored hair, before she remembered what had happened. She remembered that an officer with the same shade of hair color had helped her get out of her situation. However, he wasn't the officer that was speaking to her adviser.

_Fuck, are Kirishima and Midoriya alright? What happened to that officer who helped me? Did the heroes that rescued me died? Where's Bakugou?_

"Young Nitta," The deep sleep deprived voice of her adviser snapping her out of her train of thoughts. Mayumi looked out of the window of her hospital room and saw a clear navy blue sky, with hints of the sun's arrival in the horizon. She would say that she's been out for several hours. "How are you feeling?"

Mayumi looked at Aizawa who stood beside her hospital bed. He may not look like it, but she could tell that he was worried. It took Mayumi a while to think of what she wanted to ask first, since there was a flood of thoughts that came crashing down in Mayumi's mind.

"Where's Bakugou? What happened to Kirishima and the others?" She asked, and Aizawa seemed to let out a relieved sigh.

"Young Bakugou has been rescued, thanks to your classmates. He's been brought to the police station for paperwork and for his parents to pick him up."

Mayumi let out a relieved sigh, leaning back on her hospital bed as she heard the good news.

"We were trying to do the same to you, Young Nitta, but your guardian hasn't been picking up for the past three hours."

Mayumi sat up again, confused and feeling fear creeping back to her heart.

"What do you mean?"

"Nitta-san hasn't been picking up," Aizawa stated clearly. "Do you have any idea where he might be, or who else we could call?"

Mayumi found herself tightly gripping the sleeve of her adviser. He looked at it, and immediately understood what Mayumi was trying to say behind her panicked eyes. Aizawa asked the police officer in their room to leave them for a while. When Mayumi heard the door shut, Mayumi held Aizawa's arm with both of her hands,

"Sensei… You know that he probably made a lot of enemies underground, right?" Mayumi asked him, and Aizawa nodded. He was no stranger to the underground world, let alone the reputation that The Manager had built for himself. "He's been feeling sick for the past weeks, and he's been visiting his hospital lately at the Kamino war-"

Mayumi paused, realizing what she had said, before both of her hands flew to cover her mouth, letting out a gasp, feeling as if a knife was twisting and wrenching her stomach.

"Oh God."

* * *

" _ **It's not much, but move in a few things, and you could make this your home."**_

_If there is any fucking God listening out there, please listen to me._

" _ **You make me proud, kid."**_

_He's just stuck in traffic with a dead phone, that's why he's not picking up._

" _ **You're not a bad person. They're stupid for not seeing that."**_

_He's not in that stupid hospital where I told him to go._

" _ **You're Hina's hero –my hero. I'll be damned if I'd let you spiral down the shitty world we got ourselves into."**_

_He's not dead. He's not dead. The world couldn't be this cruel to me._

After the moment of realization that she had back at the hospital, Mayumi bolted out of her bed to head back to her apartment. She had neither phone nor money, so she ended up running back to Kamino Ward to look for the hospital that the Manager frequented.

_Kamino General Hospital… That's it, Kamino General Hospital._

Mayumi couldn't count on both hands how many times she was almost ran over by a car or bike, but she couldn't care less. She had to see for herself that the Manager was okay, and that everything was going to be alright.

Once she reached Kamino Ward, it was chaotic. Police cars and ambulances surrounded the area, with people standing behind police tapes and barricades just to see if their loved ones were lying down on the streets of the ground zero ward. Mayumi looked around, and her eyes widened at the sight. When she was still conscious, the damage was only limited to a few fallen buildings. However, the sight before her told a different story. There were no buildings left standing in the area, and instead, a huge crater replaced the high rises that were set in the middle of Kamino Ward. The whole area was destroyed, and there were no traces of the buildings that Mayumi had passed just a few hours earlier.

"It's one thing for commercial areas to be destroyed," A man beside her said as he tiptoed to look at the ghastly sight. "But for a hospital to be involved? I couldn't imagine the suffering that those people had to go through."

_Hospital._

"The Kamino General Hospital held some of the best doctors and gave the best medical treatment in the city. It's such a shame that it met such a fate." Another woman said.

… _met such a fate._

"Well, they're in a better place, now. The heroes did what they could do."

_Better place…_

Mayumi never cared for police tapes and pro heroes, so she found it easy to jump over the police tape that was set up. She heard officers and heroes call after her, but she was deaf to their calls. She could only hear a ringing in her ears, mixed with her fast pants and the rapid beating of her heart. Mayumi ran down the line of dead bodies that lay on the ruined streets of the Kamino Ward. If she weren't so determined to find the Manager (however hoping that she doesn't find him among the victims), she would have gone sick from all the dead bodies that lay there.

The grueling sight of flattened, twisted, or broken limbs was one that Mayumi could live without.

She kept running, scanning the faces of the bodies she passed by while running away from the officers that were chasing her. However, she didn't need to run any longer as she came to a sudden halt, recognizing an expensive grey coat and harsh aging lines. Mayumi took a few steps closer, her knees giving out from the exhaustion and shock that coursed through her body.

"No, no, no, no… Come on…" Mayumi said, feeling her sobs wracking through her body as she covered her mouth with both of her hands.

There laid the old man that hit her with his car three years ago, that resulted to her breaking her bones; there laid the old man that took her in after she was orphaned; there laid the Manager, who gave her a future when she thought that she didn't have one.

He didn't seem to have any broken or twisted limbs as he laid there on the ground. However, there was dried blood on his forehead, which Mayumi guessed was the cause of his death. However, besides his dirtied exterior, he looked like he was sleeping.

"You don't get to fucking do this to me!" Mayumi sobbed, grabbing a fistful of crushed cement only to throw it. She slammed her fists on the ground, letting out a wail as she rested her forehead on the ground in front of the old man's body.

Mayumi couldn't bear it to look at the Manager's lifeless body, even more so to go to it and cradle it, just as she wanted to. She felt frozen in her crouched and kneeling form, letting the broken glass and rubble dig on the sides of her hands as she let out angry and despaired wails and cries. She wasn't aware of how long she stayed there, for only one thought replayed itself over and over in Mayumi's mind:

The world was indeed cruel to her.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the delay! I thought I could get back to writing again once my research is done, but I had to take care of exit clearances and shit so I could finally tell my school to fuck off, they don’t own me.
> 
> Anyways, I also had a hard time writing the Manager’s death, cuz one, I was debating if it was the right choice, and two, it was really hard to write.
> 
> Anywho, I’ve graduated, I’m done with school, and finally I could focus on this! Now that the shit had hit the fan, our girl would be going through some angsty shit, so be prepared for that!
> 
> Thank you to those who still hung around this story! I’m not expecting much, but I love you guys for your support! It goes to show that I might just be doing something right.
> 
> Don’t be shy to ask questions, or to express reactions and criticism! (I take to heart constructive criticism!)


	18. Alcohol, Heart-to-Hearts, and Food for the Soul

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mayumi deals with the aftermath of the shit storm that the Kamino Incident had left in her life, and she deals with it in the best way that she could at the moment -alcohol, heart-to-hearts, and food for the soul.

Compared to the chaos that was occurring around her, the world was silent to her.

Mayumi walked up the stairs to her apartment building, knees and hands scraped, and clothes covered in dust and grime. One foot in front of the other was Mayumi's only thought. After finding the Manager's dead body and after wailing all the air out of her lungs, some officers picked her up and brought her back to their tent. They asked her the standard questions that one was to expect: where are you from? What is your name? Who could we contact for you to be picked up? How are you related to the deceased?

 _Deceased_ _**...** _

Mayumi stood in front of her door, the word echoing through the vast nothingness that was in Mayumi's mind. If she didn't hear the scratching and whining behind the door in front of her, she would have stood there until her knees gave in. When Mayumi opened the door, out came her companion, Baby, who immediately circled around her and bumped her nose with Mayumi's hand. Mayumi just gave the Dobberman an exhausted pat on the space between its ears, before going in her apartment. Mayumi noticed two things as she entered her apartment: one, her belongings from the summer camp were inside her apartment, and two, her apartment smelled different than before she left. The smell that hit her was a mix of disinfectant and something that was entirely new to her senses. Mayumi looked around, only to notice something black lying on the middle of her floor. Mayumi went near it and knelt down beside it, only to see it move. Mayumi's eyes went wide as she turned it over only to see that it was a small puppy, its fur jet black and silky. Mayumi looked around the house to see a whole bunch of them gathered in the far corner of her apartment, just by her bedroom. Baby sat beside Mayumi and nudged the black silky bean-like body of the puppy, before setting her head down on Mayumi's lap. Mayumi placed down the puppy that she held and rested her hand on her dog's head.

"You must be hungry, huh?" She asked, before standing up and getting Baby's dog bowl. As she set it down in front of the clump of small silky black beans that writhed in the corner of her bedroom, Mayumi's lips let out the smallest of smiles, before it turned back to the tired line that it was.

_It's not the same as it used to be... I don't think that it would ever return to the home that it used to be, but I'm gonna make sure that this becomes your home, too._

"Just give me time."

* * *

The next few days were a blur to Mayumi.

It didn't rain, just like how movies depicted the sadness of its main characters. No matter how gloomy or empty Mayumi felt inside, the skies outside were still shining brightly, and the city seemed to still move on with their lives.

If fate had a face, Mayumi would punch it.

The world had driven her to this hopeless desolate corner in her life, and for what? What good did all these deaths do to her? No, it wasn't her fault, and that was what was frustrating about the whole thing: she couldn't have had done a damn thing.

Mayumi felt something moist nudge her hand that was hanging from the edge of her bed. She lifted the pillow that she was using to cover her head, and saw that it was her dog. Mayumi lifted her head a bit and saw that her bowls were still filled with dog food and water. Mayumi just grunted and dropped her head back to the pile of pillows. She curled further into the mass of pillows that surrounded her, wanting nothing but to be submerged in her makeshift darkness that gives little comfort to what she was feeling now.

She could hear the soft pats of her dogs feet on her cemented floor, and Mayumi shut her eyes further, willing herself to sleep. At least in her dreams, she could stop thinking. Nothing but the darkness envelopes her in her dreams and the whole world becomes stagnant.

What Mayumi though were her dog's feet patting on the cold cemented floor were actually soft taps from the front door. Mayumi rolled out of her bed, not bothering to even hand comb her hair or fix herself. Mayumi shivered as the cold cement met her bare feet, and she made her way through her small studio type, past her bookshelves that served as dividers for her bedroom and living room, and towards the front door. Mayumi opened her door carelessly, and was met with two men in suits at her doorstep. One was bone thin and might as well have been a walking skeleton with how thin he looked like. He had long yellow hair, and had a sling carrying one of his arms. The one next to him looked oddly familiar, with his slicked back hair and the unkempt stubble on his chin. The raven haired man looked like he'd want to be anywhere but here. Mayumi simply stared at them, lost in thought that was caused by her grief and sleep deprivation. Mayumi's widened as an alarm rang through Mayumi's mind.

"Eh?! Aizawa-Sensei! All Might!" Mayumi exclaimed, immediately stepping back and bowing, mentally smacking herself with a sledgehammer for being dense enough not to recognize her teachers. She had heard the news of the Kamino Incident all over the radio and television a few days ago during her desolate stupor as she lay down on her bed, staring at the ceiling. Although skinny and looking like a deflated version, Mayumi didn't doubt that the one next to her homeroom advisor was the number one hero, and the teacher that she should have been working under: All Might.

"Good Afternoon, Young Nitta," Came the raspy voice of All Might, who greeted her with a smile. "I'm sorry to suddenly intrude on your home like this, but we were given instructions by U.A. to conduct a house to house PTA with our students."

"May we come in, Nitta-san?" Aizawa asked, and Mayumi nodded, stepping aside to let her teachers in.

"Please, take a seat." Mayumi said, directing her teachers to her couch, and mentally berated herself to buy a new couch so that when she had visitors as big and important as her teachers, she wouldn't embarrass herself with her broke down couch. She instantly heard her dog start to growl and bark at the two strangers that entered their house, and Mayumi instantly jumped, forgetting the disarray that the newborn puppies had brought to the household. There were still baby bottles and puppy's formula milk on the kitchen counter, and cleaning detergents on the floor.

"Sensei, I apologize for the mess," Mayumi said, immediately grabbing her Dobberman's leash and tying Baby to the window grills, near where her pups lay. She then proceeded to pick up the cleaning materials on the floor and began clearing the kitchen island. "My dog gave birth to these runts while I was away, and everything had been so -... Well, I dunno." Mayumi mumbled, giving up on trying to express how she had been feeling the past few days. Even if she tried to tell them, she doubted that they'd understand.

"Do not trouble yourself, Young Nitta. We're the ones intruding anyways." All Might said as both he and Aizawa took a seat in Mayumi's couch, waiting for her to sit with them.

"Would the both of you want tea, or maybe something to drink?"

"Don't trouble yourself too much, Nitta-san," Aizawa said. "Although if you truly insist, a glass of water would be fine."

Mayumi nodded, and came back with two glasses of cold water, before she sat down on the armchair that surrounded her wooden coffee table.

"Thank you, Young Nitta," All Might said, and both teachers looked at the girl as she settled down on the arm chair. The moment they entered her studio type, both of them already knew that Mayumi was feeling way worse that she lets on. If her bloodshot eyes and the bags beneath them weren't enough of a clue, then the state of her apartment was what made it obvious. Both of them had been informed of what happened, with Aizawa being a close friend with the Manager. "Young Nitta, we would hate to bother you at a time like this, however, I'm afraid that we were instructed by the higher ups that the PTAs should be done within the day."

"Is there something wrong, Sensei?" Mayumi asked.

"No, not really. There had been a memorandum from Principal Nezu that had requested U.A. students to live within the campus in order to be able to keep a closer watch on them." Aizawa said, and Mayumi looked at the both of them, lost.

"So, I have to live in a dorm...?" Mayumi asked, and All Might nodded.

"However, that decision is entirely up to you." The hero followed, and Mayumi looked down, deep in thought.

That meant moving out of this apartment, with no one to watch over it.

_Who will feed Baby, and the pups?_

_Who's gonna take care of the bills of this building? The gym?_

"Do I have to move in immediately?" Mayumi asked. "I still have some errands to run, before I even entertain the thought of moving out of here. I've got these newborn puppies to take care of, and I've got a-... I need to make some arrangements for a funeral." Mayumi said, her voice sombre at the last part. Aizawa seemed to cast his gaze downwards at the mention of the Manager, and All Might seemed to deflate even further.

"O-Of course... We understand, Young Nitta, about your situation. Our deepest condolences, Young Nitta." All Might said, however, his face seemed unsure on how to approach the topic to Mayumi. Aizawa looked at the yellow haired hero and nodded.

"I'll take it from here, All Might. I take it that we still have the Midoriya's to talk to, correct?" Aizawa asked, and All Might nodded. He stood up and bowed slightly towards Mayumi.

"If you'll excuse me, Young Nitta, the day is nearing its end, and I believe that we still have one more house to go to. I trust that Aizawa-san would be able to discuss the things needed for this memorandum."

"Of course," Mayumi said. "Have a safe trip, All Might." She said, before All Might flashed her a small and sad smile, before leaving her studio type. Mayumi leaned back to her armchair, letting out a heavy sigh.

"Nitta," Aizawa said, his shoulders slacking and leaning on his knees. "How are you doing?"

Mayumi let out a sigh, blowing the hair that fell on her face.

"It would be a shit lie to say that I'm okay and getting there, so... I guess... Everything is just so weird." Mayumi said, feeling the corner of her eyes starting to prickle.

"I wake up every day expecting him to be in the kitchen cooking breakfast, or by the counter with a cigar and the morning news, but every day, it seemed like he never even existed." Mayumi said, feeling the tears pool on the space between her eyes and the bridge of her nose. Mayumi wiped them away, looking at Aizawa who held an expression on his face that Mayumi had never seen before. Mayumi sighed and lets out a bitter laugh.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't be crying and talking about this with you," Mayumi said, sniffling and shaking her head. "You've been with him more than I have, and you're still up and running about, doing your job. I mean, I'm being a melodramatic piece of shit, I'm sorry."

Aizawa shook his head and leaned back on his couch, loosening his tie.

"To be honest, I haven't even thought much about it," He said, running his hands through his slicked back hair. "I haven't been giving myself the time to think about it." He muttered dejectedly.

"I think, Nitta, that we're both still in denial of the inevitable."

* * *

Mayumi felt lighter.

No, she wasn't okay. No, she still hadn't completely processed the Manager's death. However, after Aizawa's visit, she didn't feel so alone anymore. They just sat there and talked, both about the Manager and about school. She had learned that the police had specifically asked for her and Bakugou to stay in their respective homes for security purposes, just in case that the League of Villains tried to get them again.

_Speaking of which..._

"Um... By the way, Aizawa-sensei, if you don't mind me asking... how are, you know, Kirishima and Midoriya?" Mayumi asked, scratching the back of her head as she lead her teacher down the narrow flight of stairs. "I haven't heard from them since... well, you know."

"I think that the details of the events that had occurred a few days ago are best to be discussed within your peers," Aizawa said, and Mayumi's shoulders slumped. She hadn't bothered to check her phone for messages, but she had heard the constant dings that signalled her phone's notifications. She knew that they were probably asking about her and wanted to know how she was doing. "However, if you must know, Kirishima is doing fine. He asked about you awhile ago, and said that you weren't replying to any of his or your peers' messages. As for Midoriya, I'm afraid that I still haven't seen him. It was All Might who took the courtesy of visiting the Midoriyas." Aizawa said, as they exited the building.

"How about Bakugou, Aizawa-sensei?" Mayumi asked, and her advisor turned to look at her.

"He has been successfully retrieved by none other than your classmates, and is now back in his house with his family," Aizawa said. He looked at Mayumi, whose expression seemed to be a bit lighter compared to when he had first seen her, and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Nitta-san, listen to me" The raven haired hero started. "What you are going through is a difficult and long process. It won't be bad to have people beside you in this time of need. It wouldn't hurt to check your phone once in a while."

With that, Mayumi nodded, said her goodbyes to her teacher, before watching him enter a sleek black car, driving off. Mayumi walks back up to her apartment, and once she enters, she sighs in disappointment.

Her apartment suddenly felt so empty.

* * *

The wake was surprisingly empty, despite the many connections that the Manager had.

_I guess that the Manager made more enemies than friends._

Mayumi had resigned herself to keeping the place clean, or sitting silently in the funeral home, staring hopelessly at the coffin that contained the man that had stood as he parent –her mentor. She had known that he was old, and that she would one day live to see him die (if she doesn't get killed first), but she had wished that she would be able to provide him a comfortable retirement life, with a warm and soft bed in a country house, before she could provide him a cold coffin to lie on. It was what she had wanted for her parents, too, and now, she has been robbed of that dream twice.

Mayumi turned to look away, huffing out a sigh.

_Screw destiny. Screw fucking fate._

Mayumi felt seething hot rage boil from her chest, but she didn't know why for or to whom she was angry at.

That villain who was responsible for the destruction of Kamino Ward?

At the man who taunted her and told her that she should join those villains?

At herself for being too weak to do anything?

Mayumi knew that it was probably at all of those, but she didn't know which one she was more angry at.

"Young Nitta," She heard from behind. Mayumi turned to see a familiar tuft of light colored hair, and feline-like eyes that were accentuated by the dark bags under it. He walked towards Mayumi and bowed, holding out a white envelope. "I don't know if you remember me, but I offer my condolences, young Nitta. I hope you're faring well."

It was that officer that helped her escape Kamino Ward.

"Officer Shirogane," She said, shocked at the first person to visit her. "Thank you, for visiting –for everything." She said, as she lightly pushed back the envelope and bowed a bit lower than the officer that stood before her.

"You helped me escape that day in Kamino Ward. For that, I think that I should be the one to give something in return." The officer in front of Mayumi scratched the back of his head and held Mayumi's forearm, nudging her to stand up, in which she did.

"It's my job, young Nitta. There's no need to act like I'm such a hero."

"But you are a hero," Mayumi said. "No matter what you think or what you say, it won't change the fact that you were the one who rescued me that night." Mayumi saw the officer smile, and for a while, it made Mayumi's heart warm.

It's been a while since Mayumi had managed to make someone smile.

The officer stayed for a while, asking how she has been for the past few days. He left, wishing her well, and good fortune on her future endeavours.

Her advisor came soon after, slipping his white envelope in Mayumi's bag as they sat beside each other, reminiscing about their moments with the Manager. It didn't seem like he would be leaving any time soon, so he stuck around and kept Mayumi company in the lonely funeral home.

As they both waited for more visitors, Mayumi had learned that it was the Manager who had helped Aizawa around in the underground, pointing out to him who he could and couldn't trust, and how he could lie low.

Even before Mayumi, the Manager always seemed to be meddling with kids' business, pointing them and even pushing them towards the right direction.

Mayumi was surprised when a big burly man in black dropped by, and Mayumi recognized him as Knuckleduster.

"I'm happy to see ya, kid," He told her as she handed him a bottle of sake. "But I wish that it had been on different circumstances."

Mayumi had learned that the Knuckleduster used to be the Manager's drinking buddy, from time to time.

"The man had trouble with sleep, and ended up using the stuff as his sleeping pills," Knuckleduster told Mayumi after drinking a shot from a bottle of, what seemed like, Korean soju that he had brought. "Eventually, he depended on it."

He passed around the bottle and a few more shot glasses that he had brought with him. He poured one for Aizawa, and another one for Mayumi. The two looked at each other, and letting out the smallest of sighs.

"Today, I am not your student." Mayumi said, raising her own shot glass to her teacher and to her idol.

"Today, I'm not your teacher," Aizawa said, and looked at Knuckleduster dead in the eye, "and today, I'm not some pro hero running after you."

Knuckleduster let out the roughest of grins, before clinking his own shot to the three of them.

"To us poor idiots that was left behind by the old geezer." He said, while Mayumi and Aizawa muttered their own _kenpai_ before downing the shot of Soju.

Mayumi let out a drawn out breath from her nose, before straightening her back and shaking her head.

 _Damn_.

How could stuff from a bottle that small hit her hard?

Knuckleduster left a little while later, leaving the bottle of Soju with Mayumi as a late congratulatory gift from their fight together. He wished her and Aizawa good luck, before leaving the both of them alone in the funeral home. Mayumi poured herself another glass of Soju, and Aizawa took the bottle for himself and poured himself one, too.

They didn't drink it, nor toast to it, yet, and chose to stare instead at the coffin that lay in front of them.

"Didn't take you for a heavy drinker, 'cuz that shit's hard." Mayumi said, pointing at the green bottle that sat between them. Aizawa just shrugged and slumped back on the pew.

"Not a word about this, alright?" He said, and Mayumi nodded. "Although this is not appropriate, because I am you teacher, I am here as a common friend in mourning." Aizawa finished, before taking the shot. Mayumi followed, downing her own shot.

"The old geezer had no right in leaving just like that," Mayumi said bitterly, glaring at the coffin. "He owes us a fucking goodbye."

"In his line of work, I think he had it coming –just not like this," Aizawa contemplated. "I couldn't blame his daughter for leaving, and for him to let her leave just like that."

Mayumi groaned at the mention of the Manager's daughter.

"Oh God, I'm gonna have to face her sometime soon... maybe... if she even bothers to go," Mayumi said, running her hands over her face as she leaned her head back on the pew. "I mean the phone call telling her that her father's dead was hard enough. Imagine explaining to her how her father died."

Aizawa took the green bottle and poured the liquid into her shot glass once more.

"Looks like you're gonna need another one of these." He said, and Mayumi tipped her head back as she downed the shot. Mayumi huffed out, feeling the alcohol burning down from her throat to her chest.

Mayumi sighed as she felt a buzz through the pocket of her jeans, followed by many more. Mayumi retrieved it from her pocket and opened it, only for a flood of text messages to arrive. The first few texts were from unknown numbers, and Mayumi, with nothing better to do than to get drunk with her homeroom advisor, took the time to read it.

_Yumi-chan,I heard about what happened. I'm so sorry that you have to go through this. If you need us to go there, or for someone to talk to, we're here for you, alright? ~Hagakure_

_Nitta-san, my deepest sympathies for you and your family. We heard from Aizawa-sensei the trials that you are going through right now, and with the recent events that have passed, this would prove to be a very difficult time. We are sorry that we cannot be there with you due to certain security measures, but if we could, we would be there for you. As your class representative, please do inform me if there is anything that we could do for you. – Iida Tenya_

The next few texts were a series of spam texts from people whom she knew all too well.

_[Kirishima Eijirou]: Yami, dude, I heard about what happened. Where are you? I'm on my way._

Mayumi felt her cheeks heat up as she remembered her last encounter with her red haired friend. Mayumi felt something grip her chest as she remembered with regret the way she acted with them. They were trying to save Bakugou, while she was there, panicking and being the useless shit that she was. She didn't know if she could face them just yet.

_One demon at a time, Mayumi._

The next one was from her seatmate, who lacked the usual emojis that usually accompanied her texts.

_[Uraraka Ochako]: Yumi, where are you? I'll drop by to visit and to keep you company, Yumi. My condolences for you and your family._

_[Uraraka Ochako]: Yumi, I met up with Kirishima-kun and we dropped by your apartment. The guy at the gym counter told us where you are. We're on our way, okay?_

Mayumi put up her knees on the seat of the pew and wrapped her legs around it, hugging herself tightly. After her many failures in life, she didn't deserve such people to support her so.

"All drinks and silence aside, there was a real reason why I came here, Nitta." Aizawa said, sighing and sitting straight from his slumped posture.

"I looked into your files, Nitta. Not your school files and applications, but files that a certain police officer sent to me, after looking you up to make sure that you were alright." He said, and Mayumi looked up from her phone to meet the stoic eyes of her advisor.

"No legal guardians written down, except The Manager. No records of your parents, either. Since you were born from another country, I'm not surprised that I didn't find any hospital records, but I did see your name with a completely different surname," Aizawa stated, holding out what seemed to be photocopies of said hospital records. "And the same name appears on a VISA application and I.D. that has been approved by the government."

"Okay, so what? There are probably hundreds of other girls in the prefecture who are also called Mayumi and whose names are spelled the same way as mine."

"True, but what are the chances that the age of this Mayumi in this record is the same age as you –with a foreign name, nonetheless?"

Mayumi takes a look at the hospital records that Aizawa held out to her, and what was written in there made her throat run dry and her heart beat so loud that she was certain that her homeroom advisor had heard it.

"I dunno, do I look like a fucking statistics office to you?" Mayumi growled. She knew better than to lose her shit right now, especially since she was being driven to a corner by this man beside her. However, the man who had assured her that everything was taken care of was now lying in the coffin. She knew that she had no adult to back her up whatsoever. She knew that whatever bullshit lie she tries to make up –no matter how much she seems to think that it was good enough, it wouldn't be enough to sway her teacher's suspicions.

Mayumi sighed and poured herself another drink, and downed it in one go. At this point, she was deeply contemplating of drinking herself to a coma just to get out of this shit of a mess.

"You're not who you say you are, Nitta Mayumi." He said, and Mayumi just slumped back and crossed her arms.

"What gave it away?" She mumbled and Aizawa shrugged.

"Well, the VISA confirmed my suspicions," Aizawa said, shrugging and pouring himself another glass. "But I had an inkling that it was you in the hospital record. The surname sounded foreign, and when I looked it up, it was prominent in a Southeast Asian country, near the Pacific." He said, raising his glass to her, however, Mayumi felt anything but enlightened.

"What's gonna happen to me?" She asked, looking at her advisor, who just let out a huff that he seemed to be holding.

"Well, the right thing to do with the law is to report you to the police for identity fraud," He said, and Mayumi's eyes widened at that. Surely, Aizawa wasn't mean enough to send a student to jail, isn't he? "You would be detained in immigrations for a while, and if you're unlucky, connect you with the Manager and your dealings with the UFR. Since you're a minor, your consanguinial relatives would be contacted, informed of the situation, and you would be deported back to your country. You would serve your time under the law of your country, which would either be in a probationary prison, or in a legitimate prison."

"Basically, my whole life would be over before it has the chance to start." She said, running her hands through her hair, processing the scenario that Aizawa presented to her.

_I can't have that. I'd run away for this part if I'd have to –anything but to return to their "care"._

"But there's a second option," Aizawa said, pouring Mayumi a drink that he knew she needed, based on the truth bomb that he just dropped on her. "So far, it is only I who knows everything about you, Nitta, and Officer Shirogane, of course. If I feel like it, I could talk to the officer and appeal to your situation, seeing that the Officer Shirogane shows genuine concern for you and given that you explain to me everything that lead you to where you are now."

Mayumi looked at her advisor with wide eyes, her eyes glassy and tears starting to pool at the bottom of her eyes.

"Why are you doing this, sensei?" Mayumi asked, her voice trembling. "I'm a criminal. I'm a runaway stuck in a country where the government says I shouldn't be. I'm a teenager who hides in face paint and beats up people for the money and for the hell of it. Tell my why you're not sending me to the police right now. Why are you giving me a chance when you know I blew everything up, already?"

Aizawa didn't look at her and instead looked ahead at the picture of the Manager, his eyes locked on the old man's face.

"Don't forget that you're also a hero student who is, somehow, making it through her first year rather well. You were given a chance by that man over there," He said, nodding towards the picture of the Manager. "It was one of the things that he left you –a way out of the mess that you put yourself in."

Aizawa then looked at Mayumi dead in the eye.

"You have a fighting chance, Mayumi –that was what the Manager saw in you. Don't let his dying wish die with him."

* * *

The funeral happened a lot quicker than Mayummi expected.

The Manager's daughter was a no show, so she ended up performing the ceremonials with Aizawa standing in as relatives, in their case, as their closest friends. True enough, Uraraka and Kirishima arrived just after she and Aizawa sobered up from their heart-to-heart talk, and the two of them did not leave ever since. They stayed with Mayumi all night for the wake and until the funeral itself was over.

Mayumi regretted not being able to tell Uraraka and Kirishima how much they meant to her, now.

After the ceremonials, Aizawa drove Mayumi back to her building and she was left alone, back in her empty apartment. Mayumi sunk back on her couch, and letting the absence of thought echo through her head. However, it didn't last long, and her thoughts trained from her loneliness to her parents, who she sorely wished was with her to get through this shitty period.

However, if her parents were alive, she wouldn't have to go through this shitty roller coaster ride.

_I'm gonna find that purple patched bastard and end him._

Yes, Mayumi was still grieving over the Manager. However, it wasn't enough to make her forget about what happened to her in the hands of the League of Villains, especially when the villain named Dabi had taunted her and tried to talk her into joining them. It doesn't help with the fact that whenever she closes her eyes and tries to think, all the things that that murderer had whispered to her ear as she was blindfolded and cuffed had resounded in her train of thoughts.

_**You're no better than us... You're just as tainted as us.** _

In instances like that, Mayumi just shakes her head.

_One demon at a time._

Mayumi felt Baby climb on the couch beside her, and Mayumi laid her arm over the dobberman as she grabbed the television controller and turned it on. As she expected, there was nothing on the news but the Kamino Incident. Every chanel that she went to was talking about it: reporters interviewing doctors about the amount of injured and deceased people; a special chanel broadcasting the names of the deceased during its commercial breaks; a TV Host interviewing some rescue heroes about the incident; and one news chanel that showed hers and Bakugou's picture on the screen.

Mayumi sighed and thumped her head back on the couch, listening to the female reporter drone on.

"... the hostages, Bakugou Katsuki and Nitta Mayumi, are both students from U.A.. They were kidnapped during a school trip by a group called the League of Villains, who were also responsible for the attack in Hosu, Tokyo. Based from the press conference that U.A. had held, reporters had been led to believe that these two students were kidnapped by the notorious villain group with recruiting them in mind,"

At this, Mayumi let out a scoff, and turned up the volume of the television. Mayumi looked at the television to see video clips of, what seemed like, the U.A. Sports Festival. Mayumi was no stranger to these events. She had often saw it on the news or heard about it from someone somewhere, but Mayumi had no real interest in it.

Besides, the fighting that they did in that stadium was nothing but flashy child's play to Mayumi.

Mayumi saw video clips of Bakugou on the center of the stadium, fighting off Uraraka on a one-on-one match. However, it always shifted to Bakugou repeatedly blasting off Uraraka, with her giving it her all until she passed out. The next clips were from a one-on-one with Todoroki, based on the white and red hair that was on Bakugou's opponent. Their whole fight was indeed flashy, with Todoroki creating huge blasts of ice and with Bakugou exploding his way. It was until a clip showed a seemingly unconscious Todoroki, being held on the collar by Bakugou, who was shaking and screaming at the poor unconscious bastard.

The next clip had Mayumi laughing at first, but eventually feeling sorry and sad for her student.

The next clip was the awarding ceremony, wherein Bakugou was chained at the top of the pedestal with a muzzle on his mouth.

_He's not even that violent! A fucking muzzle, who the hell does that to their students?! He's all fucking bark and no bite!_

"Reporters at the press conference believed that with the rowdy and violent behaviour of Bakugou Katsuki in this year's Sport's Festival, it would be plausible for the League of Villains to want to recruit him. The police force had confirmed that recruiting the young Bakugou had been the League of Villains' intent, after rescuing and questioning Bakugou Katsuki. The other student, Nitta Mayumi, is a transferee student who recently started her term in U.A.,"

The television just showed her U.A. ID picture, and from that picture, Mayumi wouldn't blame for the public's first impression on her. She had a scowl on her face the day that she got her ID photo taken, and as Mayumi stared at her photo at the screen, she did look like delinquent material,

"Police had suspected that she was taken as leverage for the young Bakugou in order to get him to agree to the recruitment-"

"WHAT?!" Mayumi screeched, immediately standing up, her eyes wide and her blood running through her ears, the remote control tight in her hand. "WHAT THE FUCK ARE THEY SAYING?! I DID NOT GO THROUGH ALL OF THAT SHIT JUST TO BECOME FUCKING LEVERAGE!"

That villain who played with her head and her weaknesses; the heroes that got injured trying to rescue her; the Manager probably worried sick (literally) that probably lead him to his death; going through all of those and being degraded as somebody else's leverage made her look weak, and it would make it seem like all her fault if Bakugou did accept to join them.

The press had her wrong –the press had Bakugou wrong if they think that he'd just crack because of her.

Mayumi slammed her thumb on the red button of the control and threw it on her couch, letting out a scream and a growl through gritted teeth.

"Fucking press and their fucking twisted stories. Fucking unbelievable!" Mayumi exclaimed, marching to her bedroom and grabbing a pillow. Mayumi looked at it in frustration and threw it across her room with a frustrated yell. In her tantrum and her dog barking, she almost didn't hear the guitar riffs of her ringtone coming to life. Mayumi picked it up and swiped the screen, holding the phone to her ear.

"Who is this?" Despite this being Mayumi's usual answer, her current mood and her rising temper had made her sound grumpier and more crass than the usual.

"Hey," Was all she heard from the other end of the line, and Mayumi felt her blood run cold. "Um... Are you home?"

"Yeah, where the fuck do you think I'd go while being monitored by the police and grieving for my grandfather?" Mayumi asked, sitting down at the edge of her bed and trying to process the voice at the other end of the line. His voice seemed to lack its usual bite, and Mayumi was surprised at this.

Bakugou sounded so different from the other end of the line, and Mayumi couldn't decipher him.

"Fucking perfect. I'm on my way up now. Don't go anywhere, Shitface."

Ah. There it is.

Mayumi didn't even have the time to reply before he hung up. A couple of minutes later, she heard someone slamming their hand on the door.

"Oi, Shitface, open up!"

Mayumi tied her dog once more, and opened the door to come face to face with ruby eyes and ashen blonde hair. However, when Mayumi looked at him, his eyes seem to grow wide and for a while, his jaw seemed to go slack, before his usual scowl came back to the picture. However, there was something different about the way that he looked at her –in fact, it seemed as if he couldn't look at her straight in the eye.

"What are you doing here? How'd you get the police to let you out?!" Mayumi exclaimed, letting her classmate in and closing the door behind him.

"One fucking question at a time, Shitface," He said, already making his way to Mayumi's refrigerator and taking out packs of meat and jars of different assortments like he owned the place. "I know that we're both being monitored for safety reasons, so I asked if I could go here. My dad drove me here, both of our places are bugged, and a cop tailed me here, so there's no problem."

Bakugou started to place the packed meat strips that he brought out in a bowl, and got the thermos that sat beside Mayumi's refrigerator. He ran the hot water over the meat in order to speed its defrosting.

"Okay, so why the hell are you here –and without warning?" Mayumi asked, walking up beside Bakugou and taking the thermos from his hand. He was looking at the sink, and Mayumi could feel that there was a certain shift to his mood. His brows were furrowed lightly, his hands gripped the sink and his scowl had softened to a frown. "Hey, what's going on?" Mayumi asked, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Does this have to do anything with... you know." Mayumi said, and it seemed to snap Bakugou out of his stupor. He just took the thermos from Mayumi and continued to pour hot water over the pack of meat, before setting it down. He opened the cabinets, brought out chilli powder and plucked out a few cloves of garlic.

"Look, just shut up about that and just do your shit." He said, his eyes trained on the knife and chopping board that he pulled out from a drawer and proceeded to mince the garlic cloves that he plucked out. Mayumi nodded in understanding.

He'd probably do anything to get his mind off of what happened. Mayumi gets that, and that, she could do. She could probably use a hand in getting her mind off of things, too.

"Look, I'm just gonna feed and clean the runts for a while. Just don't burn anything." Mayumi said, and Bakugou turned to look at her.

"Wait, what fuckin' runts are you talkin' about?"

* * *

"Cute as fuck, Shitface."

As the rice that they prepared boiled in the rice cooker, Bakugou sat on the edge of Mayumi's bed as she kneeled on the floor, picking up the small black silky bean of a puppy and placing it on the spot next to Bakugou. Baby, albeit neither new nor hostile to Bakugou's presence in the apartment, stood alert and went to the spot beside Bakugou, resting her snout on the bed while keeping an eye on her pup.

"I don't know how you haven't noticed them when you strolled in. I also don't know how you didn't notice that my apartment smells like disinfectant and bleach."

Mayumi said, as she picked up another puppy and let it lay on her lap. Bakugou did the same and held it with both of his hands, hands running over its silky fur.

"I did notice that your place smelled clean, but the first thing that came to my head was that you killed someone and that the body's hiding in the bathroom." He said, lightly bouncing the now awake pup on his lap, while Mayumi smacked the side of his leg, however, after what seemed like weeks, she was smiling.

"Hey, that shit ain't funny with the police monitoring us, dickhead." She said, and Mayumi swore that she saw the corner of Bakugou's lip pull into a soft smirk. However, it disappeared as soon as it showed.

"The rice seems ready." Bakugou said, checking on his watch, before placing the squirming pup on his lap back with its brothers and sisters, heading back to the kitchen.

They spent the next fifteen minutes in silence, except for the sizzling sounds from the kitchen and the soft pitter-patters of the pups on the floor. Just as Mayumi was done cleaning up the last pup, the sizzling stopped, followed by Bakugou's voice.

"Oi, Shitface, food's done." He called from the kitchen. Mayumi made her way to the kitchen and sat on one of the bar stools while Bakugou laid a bowl and a plate in front of her.

"Spicy fried rice," She said, a smirk pulling on her lips. "Perfectly paired with seasoned beef strips." Mayumi silently thanked for the food, and shoved a spoonful of rice, along with a slice of beef. She chewed, swallowed, and smiled as the umami and spice took over her taste buds.

"Spirits lifted." She said, raising a spoonful of rice to the blonde, before shoving it to her mouth. It wasn't until Mayumi had finished the food that was served to her that she realized two things: she was hungry as fuck, and Bakugou hadn't eaten a single thing, choosing instead to wash the dishes and utensils that he had used.

"Hey, you're not eating?" Mayumi asked, placing her dishes on her sink, washing it herself. Bakugou shook his head, standing beside her, plate in one hand and towel on the other.

"Nah, it's yours. I'm not fuckin' hungry," He said, setting down the plate on the dish rack, before leaning back on the kitchen island.

"Nitta," She heard from beside her, and Mayumi was startled because, first, Bakugou never calls her by her name. Second, he was using the same voice that she heard from the other end of the line. "Are you alright?"

Mayumi was caught off guard by the question. 'Alright' had lots of different meanings, and Mayumi wasn't sure if she was feeling any of those before Bakugou showed up.

"What do you mean?"

"When those shits separated us and took you to another room, what did they do to you?" He asked, still looking at his feet like it were the most interesting thing in the universe.

At first, Mayumi was lost at the question he asked. She was swayed by the good food and petting the newly-born pups in her bedroom that she had, for a while, forgotten the shit show that happened a few days ago. But of course, Mayumi was an idiot to forget that she wasn't the only one who had to go through that shitty experience.

"That burnt patch-skinned guy took me to a warehouse, where they had -... I dunno what to call them –abominations? Mutated shits? Anyways, those _things_ , whatever they were, were stored in glass tanks and they were very much alive," Mayumi wasn't sure if she should mention how Dabi fits in her life –why they took her and why he was the one who handled and guarded her. Then, Mayumi remembered Bakugou mentioning about the police planting bugs all over their places, and she decided to save it for another day.

"Anyways, like what I told the police, the idiot tried to shit-talk me and get into my head to get me to join the Dark Side." She muttered, crossing her arms, and leaning back on the sink. If Mayumi phrases it like that, it belittles all of the emotional turmoil that she had gone through, and she knew that what she said doesn't justify the shit she had gone through.

Mayumi looked at the blonde across from her, who seemed tense with his hands in his pocket. They were silent for a while, knowing that talking about what happened wasn't easy for either of them.

"After they took you away, I heard noises from the other side of the room, where I thought they took you to," Bakugou said, crossing his arms this time, his knuckles turning white. "I heard punches hitting something, and the sound of your voice every time those punches hit, but your voice sounded like it was being muffled. It didn't take me long to figure out that they were beating you up on the other room." He said, and Mayumi's brows shot up. That was what they made him believe?

"They told me that as long as I don't agree to join them, they're gonna keep it up and that what they were doing to you was gonna get worse by the hour."

"And you believed them?" Mayumi asked, and Bakugou glared at her. However, it wasn't the usual biting glare that she was used to –there was something sad hidden in his eyes as he relived the memory.

"They had someone with a voice mimicry quirk, what the hell was I supposed to think?" Bakugou asked, and Mayumi let out a sigh. It was no wonder that Bakugou couldn't look at her in the eye. Obviously, he was here, and not with the league, so he didn't accept the offer. However, that meant that Bakugou felt guilty for not saying yes and saving her ass. Although it might have sounded selfish for others, for Mayumi, it wasn't.

If Mayumi had been indeed in the other room, being beaten to a pulp –or until she dies, in exchange for Bakugou remaining as a hero, then Mayumi could say that it was worth it. Mayumi knew that between the both of them, Bakugou had more potential and more drive than anyone to become a hero, and that would make him successful. Mayumi wouldn't like to see him throw away his shot for a useless shit like her.

Mayumi let out a heavy sigh as she stood straight, spreading her arms wide.

"What the fuck are you doing?"

"Haven't you had a damn hug before? It's cute, and it often times makes you feel better, especially if you're doing it with people you care about." Mayumi said, closing in on Bakugou and wrapping an arm around his shoulders and the other one around his waist, standing on the tip of her toes just to be able to rest her chin on his shoulder. Mayumi felt him go stiff for a while, before relaxing a bit into her hug.

"Who the fuck said I gave a shit about you?" Bakugou mumbled, and Mayumi let out a huff.

"Dude, it's alright, okay? I don't blame you for doing what you did, so you don't have to feel guilty." Mayumi mumbled beside his ear. "Besides, if you could walk away from that place as a hero with the price of me being beaten to a pulp or worse, I'd totally let you... You'd be worth it."

Mayumi was starting to feel Bakugou's hand snake around her waist, and stopped when he heard those words.

"What the fuck do you mean by that?" He asked, pushing her a bit and holding her at arm's length so that he could look at her.

"Look, you have to admit that you're better at this hero stuff than me, and you're more likely to succeed than me. You have a future, and with what I do, I'm not even sure how long mine's gonna be. So, I'll take my chances and do the world a favor by saving you in exchange for me." She explained, and Bakugou flicked her forehead.

"Ow! What was that for?" Mayumi exclaimed, rubbing her forehead, before Bakugou pulled her in his arms, albeit a little awkwardly.

"Stop saying stupid shit. You're not a fuckin' fortune teller, so don't go spouting on about the future like an idiot," Bakugou grumbled. "And you're not as useless as you think." He mumbled to her ear. Mayumi gave the smallest of smiles and let her chin rest on his shoulder while he tightens the arm around her waist.

They knew that whatever shit storm they've gone through would take time to heal, but they decided that day that they would start in that kitchen while they were in each other's arms.

As they rest their hands on each others' heads, they both wonder if the other could feel how fast their heart was beating, and how it would feel like to have their own lips press on the other's temple

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so fucking back with this 8k monster of a chapter! Although I am a bit off in my writing game, I was able to whip up that last scene last midnight in a sleepy haze, and I have no regrets at all.
> 
> By the way, if you guys are interested in updates in regards to the story, and especially if you guys don't have an account in AO3, I'm gonna start posting updates on my twitter and you guys can get updated there :) If any of you are interested, just look for @buminadrum, and you'll know it's me.
> 
> Anyways, thanks for sticking with me in this story!!!


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